Son of the Stars
by Eyes of the Sky
Summary: When the Doctor says goodbye to Rose on the beach, she leaves him with a puzzle that meant he'd never be alone again. A baby born on the TARDIS – a child's existence that should be impossible. A son of the last Time Lord. AU. Has past Ten/Rose mentions, but is an eventual and overall Eleven/Clara story. Also often features Donna, Jack, and others.
1. Importance

Author's Notes: **I know not everyone reads the notes at the beginning of a fanfiction, but please read these – they are very important. **Check my profile for the preview video for this story. When you read this story I have to tell you, please remember one thing: this is Doctor Who. As in, time and space are at the core of it all. Sometimes, it will seem as though moments are skipped, opportunities missed, or middles left untold – this is intentional. Sometimes, things will be revisited from different angles, with a different level of knowledge, and at times I leave things up to your own uniquely crafted imagination.

I can tell you the colour of a planet, how big or small it is, how many populate it, what food they eat, or even right down to the texture of the grains of sand forming the ground beneath their feet – and other times you'll hardly know more than its name. When I give you information, your own mind and imagination will do something with it – you'll visualise; hear voices without using your ears, imagine places you've never seen, and form pathways from words alone that enable a story to make sense. This is a journey, and each of you will see it just a little bit differently. There will come a time when I'll tell you everything about a planet, or very little yet always a name – until one incident where I won't. The planet without a name. I'm telling you a story about a Time Lord and his son, who travel in space and time. A story of love, pain, longing, joy, danger, wishes, and mystery. A story of family, impossible choices, and hopeful wonder. I am a writer – it's what I do. I write fanfiction for fun, but I write novel series as my overall passion. I won't tell you which writer I am – you probably haven't heard of me yet. But you will; one day, you will know.

Until then, please enjoy this story of a lonely Time Lord who begins a journey to never being lonely again.

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**Chapter One ~ Importance**

The beach. Of course it would be a beach; a place where he was mesmerised by the way water and ground met - the way two separate entities coincided at a single area. Much like a human and an alien. Yes, a beach was a fitting place to say goodbye. Except, he hated goodbyes – despised them too much, yet there he was burning up a sun just to say goodbye to Rose Tyler. She was someone he'd hoped to never say goodbye to for a very long time.

He wasn't ready, and the tears tracking down her face reminded him no one was ever really ready.

'Am I ever going to see you again?' She asked, her eyes flooding emotion faster than her tears.

Her face was sad and scared, but the tiniest shred of hope still shone in her eyes. There was something else in her gaze – some other pain he'd rarely seen before, but the Doctor couldn't quite figure it out.

'You can't.' He said, watching as hope dimmed.

'What're you going to do?'

Every word, and every breath, hurt. It hurt him because she was hurting – goodbyes always hurt. Still, this goodbye – he owed her that much.

'Oh, I've got the Tardis.' He tried to reassure her, and absorbed his own reminder that he wasn't losing everything today. 'Same old life, last of the Time Lords.'

'On your own.'

The Doctor inhaled a quick breath, willing himself to keep it together, as he nodded. She hurt for him, as he did for her. The seconds continued to tick away at their goodbye, though Rose's eyes already echoed a terrible loss in her tearful eyes. If time hadn't been so short, perhaps he'd have asked her about it. Was she losing more than him and their adventures together? He didn't know, but damn it hurt.

Everything about it ached so much.

'His name is Michael.' Rose said hurriedly, as if realising time was shortening with each breath they shared. 'I-I love you.'

Her tears, her pain, her hopelessness – all of that agonised him. And yet there is was; her love, acceptance, and admittance of both in a few words. He smiled, and it was then he knew they were going to be okay.

'Quite right, too.' He nodded. 'And I suppose, if it's one last chance to say it, Rose Tyler-'

He was in the Tardis.

Rose was gone, forever to him; he'd been just a few seconds too late. He supposed maybe it was better that way, but the tears sliding silently down his own cheeks said otherwise. He was a Time Lord – closure wasn't for him. It was for them.

Always for them.

He walked around the console, absorbing the last of the pain and shock, before the peace was interrupted by the impossible appearance of a red-haired woman dressed in white. In the blink of an eye, the raw emotions were pushed aside so he could deal with the baffling scenario presented to him. He met Donna Noble, and a whirlwind of events followed. A racnoss, and a runaway bride, were decent distractions. Until they too were gone, and silence filled the Tardis once more.

How many times was he going to step inside and find it empty? It was quiet, with just him, and colder in a way he knew came from the loneliness that swept through this beloved ship. The last of the Time Lords, living a life of cold and quiet emptiness - except for those warmer and noisier moments when he's not.

He flew the Tardis back into space, just drifting for a while, to gather his thoughts. The pain returned – he remembered her face, that beautiful face, once smiling and now crying. She was going to be with him forever, but the Doctor knew nothing lasted forever.

Not a single thing in all of time and space lasted forever.

While thinking on the last moment he'd shared with Rose on the beach, of course a beach, the Doctor frowned at one blip of oddity in their farewell. He mentally re-sorted through every second of the catch-up and goodbye, ending with words that didn't need to be spoken - yet there was one tiny bit he re-circled.

'His name is Michael?' The Doctor creased his expression with utter confusion. 'Who is Michael?'

His mind spiralled with rational answers and insane ones, each tying together to figure out what Rose had said to him that was so important she'd risked missing her chance to tell him she loved him. He rubbed his hands through his hair with frustration, having no idea what she was talking about, and paced around the console like the madman he always called himself.

Halting suddenly, the Doctor looked up and wondered. The look in her eyes; a premature loss. Her heart broke for him, for their journey ending, and yet something equally as painful already occurred in that moment or just before. Michael was important, whoever he was, and the Doctor worried the person was perhaps more important than anyone else to Rose. He worried because she had to tell him – she needed him to know about Michael, but he had no idea who she was referring to. He didn't know what she was trying to tell him, or what he was supposed to do.

Who was Michael?

The Tardis gave a jolt as it steered against an asteroid. The Doctor grabbed his chair to right himself, but was too lost in thought to take further notice of his surroundings. However, someone else had noticed the jerked movement; he was not as alone as he'd assumed. A piercing cry echoed from somewhere within the Tardis, startling the Doctor so much it took him a moment to realise it was the wail of a baby.

'What?' The Doctor frowned, looking wildly around for the source of the sound. 'A baby? Here? In the Tardis? There's a baby in the Tardis? What?'

At first he fiddled with the console, trying to locate and understand what was going on. He rambled to himself, fiddling levers and pressing buttons, but the Tardis gave few answers. Thinking the source was further away, he started running – everywhere. Realising the source was further away, he started running – everywhere. He checked rooms, corridors, the swimming pool, broom closets, the library, the kitchen – every area of the Tardis he could find. Finally, almost out of breath, he skidded back into the main room and returned to the console.

The crying had stopped.

'How many lifeforms are there on board right now?' He wanted to know, initiating a scan.

He didn't need the reply, however, as he looked over to see the outline of a door appearing far opposite him. The Doctor hurried to it once a knob appeared, and yanked it wide open. It wasn't a very big room, though he didn't care about its appearance when all he could focus on was a large bed in the center – where a blonde-haired, brown-eyed baby lay wrapped in a blanket.

'Oh!' The Doctor gasped, moving closer to have a look at the infant. 'Hello.'

The baby looked up at him, waving his tiny hand almost as if to return the greeting, and made a soft sound.

'Did the Tardis scare you?' The Doctor asked, bending to lift up the small form.

He kept the baby warm and cradled him in offer of comforting reassurance. He carried the infant back to the main room, not noticing the room re-vanishing, and continued to stare at him with marvel.

'Not to worry; she didn't mean to. You're okay.' He said. 'But...Where did you come from? Where's your-? Oh.'

Realisation dawned on him. It wasn't the delightful sensation of figuring out something interesting, but an almost-sickening feeling of utter inevitability. The blonde hair, the familiar face on the tiny new bundle of life, and the remembrance of the look of loss in such similar eyes. There was no expression of loss greater than a parent for a child. Staring at the baby, he just knew. He knew, and it hurt more than a thousand goodbyes he could have had with her.

Rose left behind more than a memory – she left behind her child. Her little baby boy.

'But, how?' He gained no additional answers. 'I would have noticed. What?'

The baby made a sound, still watching him as intently as the Doctor returned. The brown of the eyes weren't from Rose, not entirely, and it made him furthermore uncertain.

'You look so much like her.' He smiled, though tears welled in his eyes again. 'So much.'

He sank into his chair, holding the most precious form of life in his arms, feeling only a mixture of awe and remorse. He'd fought so hard for Jackie and Rose; he'd tried his best to make sure mother and child weren't separated. And, at the end of it all, somehow a mother and a child were still torn apart forever.

'I'm sorry.' He told the baby, holding the bundle close. 'I am so sorry.'

The Doctor wasn't sure what to do next. Rose and Jackie were on the list of dead back in London, and had no other family he knew of. He couldn't easily let her child go, though, not when the infant was so very important.

'Important.' He looked down at the baby with renewed understanding. 'Oh? OH! Of course! His name is Michael. You're Michael!'

A bright light erupted from the Tardis, enveloping the room in a golden glow, and an image of Rose flickered into appearance beside the console. He knew right away it was a hologram delivering a message, but seeing her face was still a stab of guilt-ridden pain and sadness either way.

_'Doctor?'_ Holo-Rose spoke. _'Doctor?'_

'I'm here.' He replied quietly, even if it was unnecessary.

_'Yeah, that's right.'_ Holo-Rose smiled. _'I figured out this message thing. How do I look? Anyway, haven't got a lot of time. Just wanted to say, I hope you never see this. I hope I never lose you.'_

'That's your mum.' He told the baby in his arms, without lifting his eyes from what he was sure would be the last pure image he'd ever see her face. He never wanted to forget the sound of her voice. 'Clever, she is. Absolutely brilliant.'

_'But – just in case.'_ Holo-Rose continued. _'You need to know; his name is Michael. I had a baby! Me, a mum! Can you believe it? Mum's a grandma now, says it makes her feel old. She was there, my mum, when I had him. It's a boy; I have a son.'_

'Yes, you did.' He said with shared pride. 'A beautifully healthy son.' The Doctor quickly glanced at the baby, who had drifted to sleep despite the lights and talking going on around him.

_'You're probably wondering how you missed it?'_ Holo-Rose practically read his thoughts, though he rationalised that she merely knew him so well. _'You were gone, remember? You said nine days, but it was nine months. Then everything happened. It was freezing – I wore that big jacket to keep warm. You hid us on the Tardis while you saved the world again, and I had a baby.'_

'Oh!' The Doctor gasped. 'Nine months? Really? But that's after...'

_'And the baby - he's yours.'_ Holo-Rose revealed. _'One night, eh? That's all it takes, isn't it? There was no one else – there wasn't anyone else after I met you. My Doctor. He's yours - the son of a Time Lord. You're not the only one anymore; you'll never be alone again.'_

'No.' He frowned, staring at the sleeping child secured in his arms. 'No, it can't be. Oh, but he is.'

The Doctor knew, from the moment she'd said it, that her words were the absolute truth. The boy with her features and blonde hair, yet the brown of his eyes. The baby had a stare so deep and searching for a being so small and new.

A gaze with the depths of the universe – the eyes of a Time Lord.

'But...That's impossible!' He gaped, looking back up at the hologram. It flickered and faded, as though it had been interrupted. 'No. Rose! No, no, no, no no!' He held the baby close and used a free hand to hit the controls of the console, rushing around to try to bring her back. Sparks erupted from the controls, but she was gone. Again. Yet, not entirely.

'Michael Tyler.' He smiled at the sleeping son in his hands.

There was nothing more to say, and a million things to think. Hours would pass before he moved, before he spoke again, but for those many hours the Doctor simply sat there holding an impossible baby. A child conceived and born on the Tardis – a child hybrid of human and Time Lord. A child who, by all rules the Doctor thought he'd known, shouldn't exist. And yet, somehow, Michael Tyler did.

Of all the things the Doctor had ever seen, he knew the sleeping image of his newborn son was the most important one of all.


	2. Across Time & Space

**Author's Notes: **_Some show events still happen, even if they aren't always shown. Some incidences or places will be inspired by an episode, or become a rewritten version of it certain sections, though this is rare. Overall, a lot of time and space shown and any plots related to them are from me. Just because you don't see something from the show doesn't mean it did or didn't happen story-wise, but I will always show you what you need to know. Companions prior to Clara will also make gradual appearances, though their story time won't be the same length as their screen times - an example is that Martha is only travelling with them for a few chapters before moving on. _

_To differentiate the further difference between the Tenth Doctor and the Eleventh Doctor, I will be referring to them as "Ten" and "Eleven" from this chapter forward as if the titles are names. Enjoy, and any offered feedback would be very much appreciated. _

* * *

**Chapter Two ~ Across Time and Space**

Fatherhood for the Doctor wasn't something new. Fatherhood while whizzing through space, however, was quite unpredictable.

More than usual, anyway.

The Tardis was very accommodating of the new little traveller; less than an hour after Rose's hologram had faded, a new nursery sprung into existence across the hall from the Doctor's own bedroom. The nursery would often shift itself around to be as convenient and useful as possible – and wherever the Doctor went in the Tardis, the nursery wasn't too far away. Any time he needed something regarding Michael, the Tardis did her best to provide it.

Michael progressed through his first two weeks of life solely inside the Tardis, adrift in space. A fully protected and secure bassinet appeared attached to the tenth Doctor's chair in the console room, where Michael spent most of his time.

'I know I had it here somewhere.' Ten frowned while patting himself down, as he entered the console area. He scratched his head, and scanned his gaze around the space of the large coral-inspired room, though his search provided no results.

Shrugging, he walked to his chair and sat down with a tired sigh. Ten combed his hand through his extra-spiked hair, and adjusted his tie. Hearing a vocalised baby sound beside him, a bright smile instantly formed on his face, as he turned left to look downwards at his son.

'Ah.' Ten narrowed his eyes at the possessive way Michael's tiny fingers had wrapped around the sonic screwdriver. 'There is it. How'd you get that then? You probably shouldn't have that.'

He reached over to take it from Michael, but the baby held the object tighter and made a sound of protest.

'Yes, I know, it's _really_ cool.' Ten sighed. 'But it's not a toy. No, really, it's not. And it's not yours; you need to give it back to Daddy now.'

He gently tugged the screwdriver to see if Michael would give it up, but the baby had a strong grip for someone so small. Ten leaned on the side of the bassinet, sprawled across his own seat, to watch Michael wave the screwdriver around with glee. The Doctor couldn't help smiling at the sight – every moment he could just observe his little boy was a moment Ten treasured. Beyond the love and protectiveness he already had for Rose and his son, Ten was completely fascinated by the tiny little being.

His impossible child.

'Daddy _really_ does need that screwdriver back.' Ten said.

He was glad he could speak baby, or else he'd be far less calm during the beginning when he'd had to figure out how to care for an infant again. The Doctor was convinced there was a manual lying around somewhere, but he was yet to find it. The most important thing he'd learned about his son so far was that the child was quite the negotiator.

'Tell you what, how about you give Daddy's screwdriver back and Daddy gives you juice?' Ten suggested. 'Yeah? Juice? Not Mummy juice, I know – yeah, Daddy doesn't have that. That-that would be weird. I meant juice juice, from an orange. Orange juice.' He frowned, trying not to wonder what it would be like to breastfeed.

He shook his head, and focused on Michael again. The baby's brown eyes matched his own, and tiny fingers slowly uncurled from the screwdriver.

'Ah! There we go.' Ten smiled, tucking the object back inside his jacket pocket. He reached for the infant and lifted him up.

Michael giggled at the action, while Ten grinned at him with pride and accomplishment shining on his face.

It used to be that the kitchen in the Tardis was a place the Doctor didn't use very much. Now it was the room he saw at least three times a day – as much as daytime could be judged while orbiting in space under constant stars and the occasional spaceship passing by. He'd made a few stops on Earth for the first month of Michael's life, trying to figure out which milk his son thought was best. Ten had no idea; since it was going in Michael's mouth, he thought it would be easier not to choose a brand or type that would be spat back up all over him. Baby food was more fun, though Michael soon insisted on anything with bananas in it.

The Doctor approved.

They parked the Tardis in Cardiff for a while, after almost a month in various parts of space. Michael grew like any other human baby, which only made the Doctor furthermore curious about the little boy. To his knowledge, there had never been a human and Time Lord hybrid child before. It was so very new and exciting. However occupied the Doctor was with the new bundle of life in his care, he did still get restless at times without all his usual running around through one place or another. After a while, he came to understand the depth of the baby's brown eyes – the gaze always shining with a longing to touch and explore.

It was in those quiet bonding moments, where he stared into Michael's eyes, that the child looked and felt most like the son of the Doctor.

Two months since Michael's existence was revealed to him, Ten resumed his search for adventure. He headed back into the past, many centuries earlier than when he'd met Rose, and strolled throughout a market for a bit of fresh air.

Michael loved every second of it.

The Doctor became interested in techniques and methods regarding raising children; he observed mothers in the market, and the way they carried their infants in strange ways with differing cloths. It inspired another series of travels – forward in time, and all around nearby solar systems. Ten tried to absorb worlds of knowledge – always watching and taking notes the best he could, even while Michael kept trying to grab his attention or pencil.

After a while, the only thing the Doctor really made use of was a baby-carrier from many centuries very far into the future, from a planet called Gardris. It was a big planet with lots of gardens, which wasn't unexpected given the flower-like aliens who lived there under the watchful eyes of Queen Iris. The people of Gardris shared their planet with three other migrated species of aliens, and it was from one of them that the Doctor discovered the baby carrier.

It happened by accident, really, but a lot of the best things did. Michael's very existence was an accident, and what a brilliant accident he was.

Ten was delighted by how light and sophisticated the carrier was, though it looked ordinary enough that he could use it wherever in time and space he went. He knew his son was safe when tucked away inside, looking up at his father while the Doctor regained free use of his hands. He could even run with it on, with no discomfort or harm to Michael. Ten loved how easily he could move around while wearing it, and from then on the pair went on long walks wherever they went. Ten had as much fun as Michael did - pointing out inhabitants, and explaining complex atmospheric conditions that contributed to the existence of the life all around them.

Michael didn't usually understand everything he was being told, but the enthusiastic little boy listened to every word.

The Doctor loved adventure.

Rose had too, so it was no surprise that Michael wanted to experience everything he could whenever he had the chance. He poked every creature he got close to, which wasn't especially polite when he accidentally poked the only eye a many-armed beast had. He also liked to taste things. Ten wished he had ten eyes to keep a closer watch on his son, to make sure the boy didn't end up eating things like mysterious bubbling goo somehow able to remove bones from people. The Doctor was more selective about choosing their destinations, but the blonde-haired infant was oblivious to anything beyond colours, tastes, sounds, and textures.

The carrier adjusted itself when needed so Michael would always fit in it. The feature was handy because the child was soon no longer just a little baby anymore. The small boy's face, still greatly resembling Rose, became more defined as time passed by. The Doctor smiled every instance he looked upon his son's smiling face. The only notably inherited trait Michael seemed to have from his father was his brown eyes. The depth of wonder and curiosity increased faster than the toddler grew.

When Michael reached his first birthday, he was walking and crawling. He was even talking. Every day was incredible to the Doctor – new steps, new skills, and an abundance of new words. Michael spoke with small words, and often short sentences at best, but to Ten it was no less a celebration of his son's growth and achievements.

Every single day he spent caring for Michael was wonderful – until the day it wasn't.

They were back on Earth, less than a month after Michael turned one year old, and the Doctor was where someone might expect him to be – at a hospital. He hadn't put off saving people where he could, or tracking aliens to places they shouldn't be, but his assessment of the danger beforehand lessened the more his son grew. Michael loved sitting comfortably in his carrier, clapping his hands and giggling to himself, but he'd never really been in danger. A few times, yes, but not the kind of danger the Doctor had to panic about.

When the Royal Hope Hospital vanished from Earth, to then appear on the moon, Ten was on the verge of panic.

He'd met Martha Jones earlier, and all was good - until the moon stuff happened. It was very rare for Ten to venture outside the Tardis without Michael tucked safely in his carrier. Pretending to be a patient at a hospital complicated things, so Ten had left Michael in the capable space of the Tardis. He thought it would be a quick investigation, but being on the moon changed things.

It changed things a lot.

'Michael needs me.'

'Who is Michael?' Martha wanted to know, taking a quick glance around the corner to check they the Judoon weren't about to find them.

'My son.' The Doctor told her, the stunned new friend he'd made and who followed him all through the halls, with fierce determination. 'And he will be safe – no matter the cost!'

'You have a son?' Martha was surprised. 'Is he here?'

'No.' Ten said. 'Thankfully, no. But I have to get back to him.'

'We all have someone we need to get back to.'

Ten didn't deny the fact he was in a hospital surrounded by people who likely all had loved ones waiting back on Earth for them, worried and confused, but all he could think of was his own son. Michael, sleeping in his crib within the protective walls of the Tardis, anticipating his father's return. The Doctor had vowed to Michael, and Rose's entire family, that he would always keep his son safe from fire and rain, from aliens and humans, and above all – from loneliness. He would never let Michael be alone like he had been. Never.

No matter the cost, no matter who stood in his way, the Doctor would always be there for his son when he was needed.

'What do we do?' Martha tried to stay brave, but the sound of approaching aliens continued to raise the stakes while the oxygen levels maintained a steady descent.

'Run.' Ten smiled, reaching to grasp her hand to lead the way along the long corridor and into a nearby room. He needed a plan; plans were always good. He didn't have one.

'Right. We need to get back.' Ten paced. 'Preferably alive. We need a plan.'

Martha watched him, wary of the amount of trust she'd placed in someone who looked as if he had no idea what he was doing. There was a lot of running around, yet somehow she knew he was their best chance. Strange, how an alien she'd only just met on the moon was somehow her only hope of escaping other aliens in order to return to Earth.

Literally.

'No, no – that won't work.' Ten shook his head. 'Wait. Yes. Yes! Right then, Martha Jones, let's go have a chat with the Judoon.'

'What?' Martha stared, hurrying after him. 'Are you insane?'

'Quite possibly.' He halted, and looked back at her with consideration. 'Yeah. Yeah, I probably am. Isn't it brilliant?'

'But you've got a plan, right?' She checked.

'Oh, yes.' The Doctor smirked with pride. 'Oh, I've got a plan!'

'I'm not going to like it, am it?' Martha raised an eyebrow at his oddly excited look.

'Eh.' Ten shrugged, and offered her a smile as he held out his hand. She rolled her eyes, then accepted it. She allowed him to lead her back into the chaos of what yesterday she'd have thought was completely impossible.

/\/\

Feeling the Earth beneath his bare feet again was a wonderful feeling. The Doctor would kiss the ground in relief - if it weren't for the suspiciously well-hydrated dog he'd spotted a few feet away, from where he'd snuck out the back door of the hospital.

He'd had enough attention for one day.

'Ah!' Ten exclaimed when he burst inside the Tardis, raising his arms in exaggerated greeting to his beloved ship. 'Good to be home. Michael?'

He wandered down a corridor, and turned right. The nursery had a habit of never straying too far from him, and he never had to really look for it no matter where in the Tardis he went. To make it easier, the nursery door was also bright blue. His son was never too far from his reach or sight, though an unplanned trip all the way to the moon was not something the Doctor wanted to make a habit of.

'There you are, my little monkey.' Ten grinned, lifting his toddler into his arms. He touched Michael's nose with his own, and pressed a kiss to his son's forehead. 'Daddy went to the moon with the Judoon.' He chuckled at his own rhyming.

Michael giggled in reply, without really comprehending what all the fuss was about.

'Daddy, funny!'

'Yes, Daddy is funny.' Ten nodded mock-seriously. 'Never forget that, Michael. Daddy is very funny. Oh, I'm just so brilliant!' He tapped a finger to the tip of Michael's nose, making the boy giggle again, and looked to the nursery wall clock.

It round, like most clocks were, but it didn't tell the time in numbers or hands. The clock had coloured sections for Michael's meals, naps, baths, and so on. It was the Tardis' way of making sure the Doctor didn't let time get away from him, which would result in a very grumpy toddler.

'I have some bad news, Michael.' Ten sighed, reaching into his jacket for his fried screwdriver. 'There was a big machine. The machine won.'

'It hurt?' Michael asked sadly, looking at the screwdriver as though it was an injured teddy bear.

'Uh, well.' Ten winced. 'Yeah, pretty hurt. Can't be saved. Not to worry, though, we'll get a new one.'

He carried Michael to the kitchen, feeling in the mood to eat bananas, and paused at the doorway.

He never noticed how big the kitchen had become, or how empty it looked when no one was inside it. He had Michael, but still the Tardis was so big and empty. For over a year it had just been the two of them, and the Doctor had no slightest problem with that. Returning from the moon, he realised there was a part of his adventuring across time and space that had been missing. Today had been different in a rather thought-provoking way. Not because he'd been away from Michael, but because he'd been with Martha. He'd had a companion again, even if for a moment. She'd helped him, and been so brave while everyone else around them were panicking.

She'd been clever too, and the Doctor enjoyed clever.

'I think it's time for a change, Michael.' Ten said quietly, still staring into the empty kitchen dulled by the lack of active lights. 'It's time we had guests again. Just one trip, though, to say thanks. It's better just you and me, but one trip...Yeah, one trip with Martha Jones would be absolutely brilliant.' He smiled.

The Doctor remained in a good mood, even when Michael grabbed hold of a flour bag from an unguarded shelf and nearly suffocated them in a cloud of flour. They ate dinner and examined the new screwdriver, which came with a new child lock setting to prevent anything being zapped again when Michael waved it about. The little boy had rather sticky fingers, and somehow Ten still missed his son stealing the screwdriver from the inside of his jacket.

They returned to London later that same night.

The Doctor watched Martha leaving the Market Tavern with her loud family, and stood at the corner until she noticed him. Ten stepped back into the shadows of the alley, confident she'd follow him, and leaned against the side of the Tardis to wait.

'I went to the moon today.' Were Martha's first words when she reached him, starting off the conversation.

He told her he was a Time Lord, and offered her one trip to say thanks for saving his life. Ten got a little carried away, proving the fact his ship could also travel in time. He'd missed showing off. Michael was impressed with everything he did - after a while, Ten didn't even need to do something impressive for the toddler to be clapping and laughing at his father's antics.

Martha was shocked by the Tardis, though that was nothing new. Ten watched her with amusement, as she checked the outside again and enthused about how strange it all was. His smile dropped when somehow the topic of Rose emerged. The last companion he'd had in the Tardis, who evidentially had been so much more, was Rose. Martha wanted to know where everyone else was, and it was a reminder that he had once been so alone for a very long time.

Except, he wasn't alone now.

'Ah, I've got Michael.'

'Oh.' Martha remembered, tapping her forehead with her hand. 'Right, sorry. Your son?'

'My son.' Ten beamed with pride, walking to get Michael from the playpen in the nursery. He carried the boy into the console room to meet Martha, while the boy's chubby little hand still gripped a red toy block. 'Michael, meet Martha Jones.'

'Hello.' Martha awkwardly held his empty little hand to shake it in greeting.

'Hello.' Michael said.

The toddler leaned forward to poke Martha with his customary curiosity-driven greeting, but was pulled back by Ten before any eyes could be harmed. The boy watched her inquisitively, then made a sound of protest and squirmed to hide his face against his father's shoulder.

'That's odd. He's not usually shy.' The Doctor frowned, then shrugged. 'Right then, let's get going.'

'Rose. Was she his mother?' Martha wondered, watching Michael with a sad expression.

Ten paused from where he stood at the console, one arm supporting Michael with ease. The boy waved his block over his father's shoulder, unaware that the topic being discussed related to the woman who brought him into the world.

The Doctor didn't like to think about it too much, with Martha standing right there, but the year had been hard at times. Michael and the Tardis brought him so much joy and activity to keep him busy, but there were moments Ten had turned to share something with Rose and be reminded of her absence. Even the little things were strange and sad to be without, like the way she laughed or how it felt to hold her hand. He was used to losing people, in nine hundred years of time and space, but Rose was different.

Rose was a friend Ten will always hold dear to his heart.

The mother of his child.

'Yes.' Ten answered, looking at Martha sorrowfully.

'How could she just leave him?'

'She didn't.' The Doctor insisted firmly. 'She had no choice. Parallel worlds...you wouldn't understand. Rose loves Michael. She, well – things happen. Well, then. Close down the gravitic anomaliser, fire up the helmic regulator. And finally, the hand break.' He said, shifting the focus and energy of the moment to their pending trip ahead.

He wanted to take Martha to 1599 where she could meet William Shakespeare himself, and then maybe stop over on Gardris on the way back. It would only be one trip, he tried to fool himself, as the Doctor glanced over to cast her an anticipating smile.

'Ready?' He asked.

'No.' She shook her head, though with mirth and enthusiasm.

'Off we go!'

Ten quickly placed Michael in the seat inspired by a high-chair, which had replaced the bassinet once the boy outgrew it, and returned to the console to navigate the Tardis. They set off with a big jolt, having everyone holding on for dear life. The Doctor laughed, Michael gave a whoop of equalled excitement, and Martha found their enthusiasm contagious while fighting the urge to scream. They set off through the Time Vortex with a fresh new outlook on their approaching adventures. The Doctor and Michael had gone on so many journeys of their own during the year, and now they had someone else to share it with for a while.

It was time for a change, indeed.


	3. Four Seconds

_Thanks to every reader who has reviewed, favourited, and followed. I write this for all of you, so thank you. This is one of the last chapters for a very long time that was inspired by an episode, as it begins to set up main story plots and paths._

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**Chapter Three ~ Four Seconds**

The Doctor was not unfamiliar with fear.

When Michael came into his life, Ten realised a whole new set of fears – as every parent does. There was one fear, above all else, that he couldn't even think about. It was too terrifying for him to even have nightmares of. The only thing more frightening than the idea of it, was the horrifying truth that it wasn't an idea anymore.

It was very real.

'He's not a weapon!' Ten said angrily, holding his son close with both hands - despite Michael sitting in the secure carrier. Secure, but no longer safe.

_'Explain!' _The Dalek staring back at them demanded. _'Explain!'_

Yes, nothing could be worse for the Doctor than that moment.

They were high in a building room in 1930, New York City. He stood facing his most formidable enemy, with his precious little boy between them. One fire of the Dalek's weapon, and surely the baby carrier from a future would have met its limits of protection. One aim, one shot - and one less life in the room. The most important life of all; the life of a child. The Doctor was not about to let such a thing happen.

It started with Hooverville. The one trip with Martha had taken a couple of detours since they'd left Shakespeare back in 1599. From Hooverville, they found out about the pig slaves. From that, the Doctor came to face the Cult of Skaro - again. It was one confrontation he regretted before it even properly began. He had a lot of dangerous enemies, and most of them tried to kill him upon sight, but the Daleks were the oldest and most feared of his enemies. They were the only ones he couldn't simply run away from. Daleks were hatred and death in machine-shelled form. The Doctor despised them with every cell of his entire being, across every past and likely future regenerations.

The last time Ten had faced the Daleks was when he'd lost Rose.

When he thought his own hatred of them couldn't increase any more, they proved him wrong. Now he faced them again, with Rose's son in front of him at the threat of being exterminated. Ten knew enough of what was going on, with the Daleks' attempts to evolve at the sacrifice of human life and will, but the Doctor had already put a stop to it. When it came to the Daleks, stopping a plan was much easier than stopping the ones behind it.

_'Explain!'_ The Dalek repeated.

'No.' Ten stated. 'You don't care who he is; you just want to know if he's a threat! How can a defenceless child be a threat? Leave him alone!'

'Daddy?' Michael whimpered.

The toddler had been shielded from most of what was going on, as he was firmly only able to face the direction of his father. So little, yet aware enough to know something was wrong. He didn't like the anger his father expressed towards all the loud sounds around them. The little boy was afraid, and reached a chubby hand to tug at Ten's collar in hope of reassurance.

_'The offspring has identified the Doctor as "Daddy". This offspring is part Time Lord!'_ The Dalek stated, while Ten inhaled a breath of dread for his son's unintentional slip. _'This makes it a threat!'_

'Don't you dare!' Ten hastily switched the carrier around so Michael was behind him, instead of vulnerably seated at the front. 'And he's not an _"it"_. He is part human - he is the son of Rose Tyler.'

_'Human name "Rose Tyler" is identified as enemy. Offspring registered as the scion of human Rose Tyler and the Predator.' _The Dalek stated, its voice raising higher as if in a frenzy. _'It must be exterminated!'_

'Daddy, I scared!' Michael was on the verge of crying.

Ten didn't console his son because he had nothing comforting to say. He knew he was supposed to lie – to say everything was okay, not to worry, and that he would get them away from the danger they faced. He was supposed to tell his son not to be scared, but he couldn't. The lie would be too great. Michael should be scared – they were faced with a Dalek who just had its destructive plans for evolution ruined by its most hated enemy.

Any moment now, they were about to be killed.

The Doctor wasn't going to let harm come to his son, but he was metaphorically backed into a steel-walled corner. He didn't have a plan, and he saw no means of escape. All that was behind them was a huge glass window, which showed the night sky over New York - the lights of the city they had been defending. Standing in the top floor of the building, with no means of convincing the Dalek not to kill them, the Doctor was beyond scared. He didn't give up, no, but he was certain that protecting his child against a Dalek would be his last act of life.

_'Exterminate!'_ The Dalek shouted. _'Exterminate!'_

'No, no, no!' The Doctor panicked, holding his hands in front of him, as the Dalek moved closer. Ten's eyes were wide with fear, his tone desperate and pleading, while his mind raced for a miracle. All he needed was a distraction – one tiny distraction and they had hope. Four seconds of diversion would be enough to safe his son's life.

No such miracle happened.

Martha was busy getting everyone out of the building – those who hadn't been slaughtered by the Daleks' attack or experiments. His screwdriver could damage the Dalek if he could only get around it to zap a nearby console, but Ten couldn't move fast enough with the death-bringing machine so close. He'd also have to turn, thus exposing his little boy to the weapon.

The Dalek took aim – the Doctor saw everything in slow motion from then. The blinking lights of the Dalek as it shouted over and over that it was going to exterminate them, and the roaring sound of those shouts ringing in his ears. The most feared sound in all the universe. There were tears on his face, knowing he had failed his son and Rose as well. He had to try something, but what? His scared little boy didn't even know what was going on, yet Michael knew it was terrible. He didn't know what a Dalek was or why it was so terrible, but the fear was real.

The sound of Michael's piercing cries should have ridden Ten with guilt and sadness. It didn't. Instead, it shone hope into the frightful situation. The Dalek stopped to complain about the noise – four seconds was all the Doctor had needed, and four seconds was what he got. Michael quietened slightly when Ten lunged around the Dalek and aimed his screwdriver at the nearby control console. A rain of sparks erupted from it, bursting light-bulbs above their heads and livening wires along the floor. Running to the door as fast as he could, the Doctor managed to shield himself and Michael from the shower of glass and electricity. He switched the carrier back around, and gave Michael a big kiss on the forehead. Michael was still upset, but didn't cry as too much noise and sparks distracted him.

In a rippling effect, the reaction of the console being destroyed continued to set off power lines across the floor and up the walls. Ten used the screwdriver to slide the automated door shut, just in time to drown out most of the Dalek's yelling as it was electrocuted.

He stayed long enough to check the damage was fatal, then hurried off to find Martha.

It had been hours since they'd uncovered the mystery of the pig slaves, and the Doctor hadn't found the time to safely return Michael to the Tardis with so much happening in all directions. The moment he knew Daleks were involved, he had tried, but was cornered too soon. Simply put, there was too much chaos going on for him to get his son somewhere safe. It was a mistake, yet a hard-learned lesson he refused to repeat.

'Martha!' Ten called, running through the hallway in search of his companion. No, not companion - just someone he'd brought along for an extended trip.

There was still at least one Dalek out there, which the Doctor found by following the screams. Martha had evacuated most of the people in the building, except herself. Ten reached a lower floor and found the other end of the corridor blocked by a Dalek, who approached Martha standing in a corner with a few stragglers behind her. There were bodies around them from those who had tried to get away, or were simply unfortunate.

Neither mattered to a Dalek – all it did was kill and destroy.

_'Exterminate!'_ The Dalek shouted. _'Exterminate!'_

Ten made eye contact with Martha – he saw her fear of the Dalek's approached, mingled with hope of his arrival. She knew she could die any second, but prayed he would be able to save her. The Doctor looked down at Michael, who sniffled; about to cry again, and knew he had to act fast. Four seconds - that should be enough.

Grabbing a piece of concrete rubble from the floor, Ten threw it across the corridor away from the Dalek and its victims. The Dalek paused, and turned in the direction, giving Martha and the others enough time to run around it towards where the Doctor gestured them over. He hurried the people around a corner, where they could head for the exit, and kept his eyes glued to the sight of the rotating Dalek.

Four seconds.

Ten grabbed Michael under the arms and lifted him from the carrier. He shoved his son into Martha's startled grip, and gave her the sternest look he was capable of. She took a step back in alarm, but listened and nodded in obedience to his words.

'Take him.' Ten said. 'Take Michael to the Tardis, and wait for me there. Stop for no one. Stop for _nothing_, do you understand? I'm trusting you, Martha Jones, with the greatest treasure I know. Keep him safe.'

'I will.' Martha nodded, understanding the magnitude of trust it took for someone to hand their child over to a person they hardly knew. She knew the struggle, because it was all displayed in the Doctor's desperate gaze.

Martha clutched Michael close, being the first time she'd held the child, and ran away. She turned her back on the Doctor and the Dalek, praying and hoping it wouldn't be the last she saw of the man who showed her time and space. Michael cried, either from continued fear or being separated from his father – Martha wasn't sure. She just kept running. Her legs and heart ached by the time she made it outside onto the streets of New York, but Martha didn't stop. Tears tracked down her face as she reached the Tardis, finally gasping for air. There were no explosions from the building, and it was the only ray of hope she had to cling to that the Doctor was still alive and fighting.

'Shh.' She rocked Michael, trying to calm him, though she had little experience with children his age. 'It's okay, Michael. I promise.'

She nervously looked around the darkened area. Martha leaned her back against the side of the blue police box, but still felt exposed. If even one Dalek remained lingering in the shadows than there was nothing she could do. People were still running around in a panic, and those few who weren't remained on paranoid edge with weapons clutched in their grip. Michael's loud cries were like an alarm signal – he could be heard from afar by anyone and anything.

'Michael. Michael, come on – shh!' Martha stressed, holding the sobbing child close to her with all desperation and protectiveness she had.

She pressed her cheek to his blonde head, and watched the building for any sign of what was going on. She was suddenly struck by the terrifying possibility that the Doctor might die up there, all alone. She'd seen what the Daleks could do, and the Doctor was so scared of them and their danger that he'd handed his son over to her and told her to get out. His enthusiasm at the face of a challenge, even a dangerous one, vanished the moment he heard the Daleks speak.

'Da-Daah!' Michael fought against her hold.

'I'm sorry.' Martha told him, upset yet trying to be brave. 'I know I'm not your dad, but I've got to keep you safe, alright? Please, please calm down. Michael?'

The toddler wouldn't listen - he didn't know her, and he wanted his daddy. Crying and squirming, Michael started hitting her hand away when she tried to comfort him. His chubby little hands found the surface of the Tardis behind her, and the doors parted.

Martha peered around the side of the box to see the opening. She looked at Michael, who didn't appear to have noticed. She had no way of getting in without a key, but somehow the Tardis knew she needed a place to keep Michael safe and allowed entrance. Not wasting time to think about it, Martha hurried inside and shut the doors. Sitting on the Doctor's chair near the console, she continued to hold Michael close. He was her only warmth and hope – the little boy so defenceless and upset. He fought her, but his cries lessened from being in a familiar and safe place such as the Tardis.

The gentle hum from the console seemed to soothe him where Martha could not.

Martha didn't know how long she sat there, earnestly trying to calm the unhappy baby. After a long moment of silence, she jumped when the door opened. The Doctor stood there with a very serious expression of dread and anger on his face. He was apparently unharmed, but clearly disapproving of the outcome.

'Oh, thank God!' Martha gasped loudly with relief. 'Are you okay? What happened?'

'It teleported.' Ten frowned.

He might have offered to help the last Dalek, after the Cult of Skaro had fallen, but the thought of how close his son had been to death at the hands of a Dalek had changed his mind in the last second. It made no difference, in the end – once cornered, and faced with the truth of being the only one left, the Dalek had fled. Somewhere out there was a creature who would stop at nothing to kill him, and who knew of his son's existence. The Doctor knew it wasn't the last time he'd see a Dalek; it felt as if he would never be granted that peace.

'Daaaaaa!' Michael howled, snapping the Doctor from his darkening thoughts.

'Michael!' Ten grinned, as though a switch had flipped in his brain, and rushed over to scoop his moody son from Martha's arms. 'Oh, that's quite the sad face. Daddy's back now, no need to cry. You're okay, Michael. You're okay.'

He tightly cuddled his son close, his eyes watering with relief. Ten rocked the boy and became oblivious to everything around them. Michael clutched to him and buried his face in the collar of the Doctor's jacket. Everything was okay, there was no need to worry right now, and they both got away from the danger.

They were okay.

'Thank you.' Ten looked around his son's blonde hair to express his deep gratitude to Martha, who stood nearby watching them with a sad smile.

'It's nothing.' Martha tried to shrug it off. 'You did all the work.'

'No, really, thank you.' He emphasised seriously.

Martha merely nodded, and shifted awkwardly on her feet. The Doctor inhaled the scent of his son's soft hair, then lifted the boy away from him to hold him in the air. A smile remained on his face as he stared up at the little boy.

'What do you say we go someplace else, eh?' Ten said. 'Somewhere far away from here.'

Michael whined to be back in his father's arms, to which the Doctor complied.

They didn't leave right away, though. It simply wasn't in his nature to leave without making sure the threat was truly gone and everyone was okay – or on their way to okay. Ten fed, bathed, and tucked his son into bed like any other night. Confident his little boy was well out of harm's way, the Doctor and Martha left the Tardis to oversee the aftermath of what happened. People had calmed down and were busy finding a place to rest their heads for the night, or had begun trying to repair the damage.

'Humans.' Ten looked around Hooverville with amusement. 'Such a resilient lot. Once their world is no longer being destroyed, they get right to fixing it back up! So few planets survive a visit from the Daleks, yet here you lot are only hours afterwards – sitting around a campfire with drinks and stories. Brilliant!'

'Yeah, that's us.' Martha sighed. 'Resilient.'

'How are you holding up?' Ten glanced at her, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket as they wandered back to the Tardis, shortly after confirming they were no longer needed.

'I'm okay.' Martha nodded. 'I mean, for a while there...But it's done now. It's over. We made it.'

'Yes we did.' Ten smiled.

'Are you okay, Doctor?' Martha looked at him, pausing at the door of the Tardis.

'I'm brilliant.' He grinned, moving one arm to hold the door open for her.

She looked him over once, then turned to head inside the ship. Ten followed, but paused in the doorway to look around the darkened space. His face showed the seriousness of his thoughts, as he remembered the events of the night and how the Dalek had fled, then sighed to let it go for now.

Michael was safe – that's what truly mattered.


	4. Outsiders

**Author's Notes:** I will be updating more frequently - most likely every several days. Thank you every single person who reads, reviews, follows, and favourites this story. Feedback to a writer is oxygen to a brain.

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**Chapter Four: Outsiders**

A month had passed since the trip to 1930, New York City and the Daleks. Little Michael had completely forgotten about it, and while the Doctor seemed as though he had too – Martha knew it was impossible. Sometimes she'd catch a glance of his worried face when they arrived at a new place, but the Doctor was soon back to his usual self.

After the laboratory incident with Lazarus, Martha became a proper companion – no more fooling themselves it was just one trip; she even had her own key to the Tardis. She'd been happy with that, though a little disgruntled at times when she found herself being Michael's nanny more than the Doctor's assistant.

With increased time spent with the little boy, Martha tried to bond with him. The Doctor often watched with amusement, while Michael tossed squishy shapes at Martha's head in rejection to her attempts to play with him. The toddler didn't mind her company overall, but wasn't too keen on more than sitting next to her or being held for short periods of time – as long as his father was nearby.

'Maybe you're just not good with kids.' Ten shrugged one day, when she tried to work out what she was doing wrong. 'Not everyone is.'

'I'm fine with kids, just not this one.' Martha huffed, moving away from the playpen Michael was sitting in. 'Is it because I'm human?'

'He's half human.' Ten reminded her. 'Michael's usually rather friendly, actually. Aside from poking people in the eyes, and throwing blocks at them if they've got big heads, or...' He paused to see the look Martha was giving him - clearly suggesting his son wasn't as politely sociable as he perhaps should be.

The Doctor looked away, and shrugged, still amused.

'Is he trying to say I have a big head, then?' Martha crossed her arms.

'Nah.' Ten shook his head, then looked surprised at his son. 'Oh, Michael, that's not nice.'

'What?' Martha stared at the child. 'What did he say?'

'Oh, nothing.' Ten quickly busied himself with the console, avoiding her gaze. 'Just...nothing.'

'He hates me, doesn't he?' Martha complained.

'No!' Ten shook his head. 'No, of course not. Michael doesn't hate anyone.'

'But he doesn't like me?' Martha raised an eyebrow.

'Well.' Ten winced, fiddling with the controls again. 'He...Well.'

'Great. So, where to next?' She wondered, walking over to him. She was anxious to see more, after two days of just entertaining Michael while floating somewhere in space.

'Ah!' The Doctor sat up, renewed with excitement. 'I know just the place! Lots of busy stuff and fun.'

'You said that about the last place, and we almost got clubbed to death by those big blob things.' Martha pointed out.

'Andripoxitons.' The Doctor said, while setting their course. 'They were just excited to see us. Don't get a lot of tourists on Andripox.'

'Can't imagine why.' Martha rolled her eyes. 'Is that what we are – tourists?'

'Absolutely not.' Ten pulled a face. 'I don't think. Well, maybe a little.'

He grinned, then hurried over to Michael to lift him out of the playpen.

'What do you say, Michael? Want to see Planet Galyen?'

'Yeah!' Michael waved his arms enthusiastically.

'That's the spirit!' Ten placed the toddler in the secure seat, and gave Martha a smile of anticipation. 'Ready? Let's go!' He lowered a lever, and clung to the console for life, as the ship jerked and flew rapidly into the time vortex.

The Tardis didn't travel far, just across several galaxies a few hundred years into the future. They landed, and Michael resolved into a fit of giggles.

'You know, Michael is going to be the only kid on Earth who will think amusement parks are boring.' Martha commented, straitening to look over at the adorable little blonde.

The Doctor wore the carrier and slipped Michael into it. He joined Martha at the door, and they stepped outside onto the ground of an big alien planet.

'Planet Galyen – the biggest fuel station in all the universe!' Ten said.

'It's beautiful!' Martha stared at how impossibly green the grass was, and how blue the sky shone – though it was often obscured by a large variety of spaceships and hovering vehicles. 'This is just a pit-stop for ships?'

'For visitors, yeah.' Ten nodded. 'Not for the gallers – this is their home.'

'What's the fuel?' Martha wondered.

They crossed the hills and approached the big city, which had many-windowed tall buildings – each with flat landing roofs.

'The air smells fresh, and everything's so alive! How can a whole planet be a fuel station and be so healthy?'

'Well, it's not gas.' Ten stated, his hands shoved into his pockets as they walked. 'The whole planet is burning at the core with so much raw energy it could explode at any moment.'

'What?' Martha halted to stare at him. 'It's dangerous? It could blow up any minute?'

'Nah!' Ten smirked. 'All that raw energy is only dangerous if there's too much of it, so the gallers sell it as fuel to anyone who needs it. This planet fuels the whole universe just to survive.'

'Wow.' Martha admired, turning to look around again.

There were humanoid creatures of a greyish-blue colour, with long trunk-like noses hanging a few inches behind their chins. They made collective gurgling sounds as they passed by, and Martha thought it was all very interesting.

'Nose!' Michael reached a far as he could towards one of the aliens.

'No, no – Michael!' Ten grabbed his son's hands in time, offering the curious alien a nod of polite greeting. 'No pulling noses, Michael. We talked about this.'

'Daddy, nose!' The boy squirmed.

'How do we say hello to new aliens?' Ten asked firmly.

Michael looked at him and made grabbing motions with his hands. Ten sighed and looked to see what Martha was doing. She stood at a fountain-like structure in the center of the forked street, leaning her neck back to look up at the impressively tall buildings surrounding them.

'What's that up there?' She asked, pointing to the sky.

Ten joined her and glanced upwards - Michael curiously did the same, but soon lost interest and tried to grab noses again.

'Ah...a spaceship?' Ten frowned, uncertain.

It was a big round structure floating in the sky, though it wasn't close enough to land and didn't appear to be moving at all.

'Can they fuel ships that big, in the city?' Martha wondered, thinking it looked as though it could crush the city if it got too close.

'Yeah.' The Doctor nodded. 'But not in the city, no.'

He looked around, and noticed the occasional galler looking up as well. It gurgled to another, and Ten knew the big round presence above the planet was not ordinary. In fact, for creatures who surely saw every type of alien and ship possible, the gallers were worried about it.

'Daddy?' Michael tugged at his collar.

'What is it?' Ten asked, trailing his gaze to where his little boy pointed at an alley.

'Daddy.' Michael repeated. 'Sad?'

'Yeah, he does look sad.' The Doctor commented, ruffling his son's hair in praise for being able to recognise emotions so easily.

Martha glanced to see what they stared at, and noticed a smaller galler huddled alone against a gear shop wall. It was at least three feet shorter than the others, with a smaller nose but bigger eyes. It fiddled its fingers and made a groaning sound – almost a whining cry.

'Why sad?' The toddler wanted to know.

'I don't know.' Ten replied. 'Let's go find out!'

They walked across the road, careful not to bump into any of the full-sized gallers or occasional other alien, and approached the smaller galler in the alley. He saw them and whined with surprise, sinking further against the wall with wide eyes.

'Hello.' Ten smiled as friendly as he could, waving his hand in a universal sign of greeting. 'Are you alright? You seem rather sad.'

'Hello!' Michael added, waving his hands in exaggerated greeting when Ten turned him around in the carrier so he could face the front.

'Mikipi.' The galler said quietly, shyly looking from each to the next. It settled its pale gaze on Martha, who awkwardly waved in greeting as well.

'Is that hello?' Martha wondered.

'Ah, no.' Ten became serious, the concern showing on his face, as he looked down at the small galler. 'He's telling us to go away, in the ancient language. Gallers rarely talk, so he must be very frightened.'

'And you just happen to speak that ancient language?' Martha raised an eyebrow.

'I speak everything.' Ten said.

He leaned closer to the galler to give it a proper look over. In the poor light, from shadows cast into the alleyway, it had been harder to notice a healing cut above the galler's eye or the green bruise forming on its jaw.

'Nose!' Michael reached forward again, causing Ten to slant backwards with graceful practise.

'Sorry about that – my son, he's got rather grabby hands. He means well.'

The galler looked at Michael with new interest, and made a choking sound of laughter. Ten smiled, and Michael resolved into a fit of giggles. The toddler kicked his little legs and grinned as though it was the funniest sound he'd heard.

'Is it a child? A young one?' Martha wondered about the oddly small size of the galler, while glancing at Michael's adorable smile. All the other native aliens were at least two feet taller than her, whereas this one she could easily look upon.

'No.' Ten shook his head, watching the galler approach to trail a finger over Michael's blonde head. 'He's just smaller. It's unusual, but it happens. Nothing wrong with it, though other gallers might consider it a fault or sign of weakness.'

'Heow.' The galler said, gently rubbing Michael's head with his hand.

'Now that's hello.' Ten smiled. 'He's saying hello to you, Michael.'

'Hello.' Michael said, then clutched hold of the galler's nose.

'Michael!' Ten winced.

The galler grunted with surprise, and jerked its hand back. Michael and the galler locked eye contact, and the toddler released the long nose. The galler blinked, checked its nose with his hands, then took a step back. Michael smiled, and the galler's lips formed an crooked shape as if trying to mirror the action.

'Well, look at that!' Ten was very amused. 'I've never seen a galler smile before. And certainly not after someone had just grabbed its nose.'

'Eeeoha?' The galler looked up at him. 'Meerton?'

'Ah, no. Our ship doesn't need fuel.' The Doctor answered. 'We're just here to have a look around this lovely home planet of yours. Although, never seen that before.' He pointed upwards to the big round shape in the sky.

The galler whined and retreated back into the shadows. It spoke again, but the words were mingled with gurgling and gasping. Martha was at loss of what was going on - she watched the Doctor's reaction instead, in hope he'd offer explanation. He was focused, though still rather conversational, so Martha waited for him to fill her in.

'It appeared yesterday.' The Doctor told her, and Michael. The toddler listened, but was more interested in the galler. 'Someone left the ship and went over there.' Ten turned to look at a triangle-shaped building.

It was the only building in the entire city without a flat landing top. The windows were darkened, and the overall appearance gave the impression of something that had been randomly placed in the city; it failed to blend in or match the similarities of every other building and place around them.

'This galler thought the visitor was strange, but the others said he was being stupid.' Ten frowned, looking at the smaller galler with sympathy and concern.

It whined with sadness and stared at the ground. Ten didn't take it lightly. On a planet like Galyen, when a galler found something strange than the Doctor knew whatever it was could only be something very wrong.

'What is that place?' Martha wondered, eyeing the odd building. 'It gives me the creeps.' She shuddered.

'The workstation.' Ten replied, fixing his gaze on the building as well.

He remained aware of the galler approaching to pat Michael again, but didn't need to supervise. A gallers were a peaceful and curious race, never setting out to harm another. It was the sort of race and planet he wanted Michael to learn from.

'It's where they monitor the planet's energy levels and assign it to all the fuel points.' He continued. 'If a non-galler went in there, it can't be good.'

'Bevmitt.' The galler nodded.

'Negotiations?' Ten swerved to look at the small alien. 'Negotiations for what? Gallers sell fuel to the universe – the prices never change, and it's always fair. What's to negotiate? Unless...Oh! Oh, is someone trying to take more than their share?'

The galler nodded, shrinking back nervously. All of them turned to watch the building, even Michael, with serious expressions. Whatever was going on inside involved a lot of energy - for a planet constantly on the verge of explosion, it was the worse thing that could happen.

'What did the visitor look like?' Ten raised an eyebrow at the galler.

The galler's expression creased as it tried to explain. He wriggled its fingers over its head, rubbed its nose, and made grabbing motions with his hands. Martha thought it looked a little crazy, and had no idea what sort of alien the galler was trying to describe. Not that she was any sort of expert, though. She glanced at the Doctor, who seemed to understand the gestures in ways she couldn't.

'Ah, of course.' Ten nodded thoughtfully. 'Who else but the keznorples?'

'The...what?' Martha frowned.

'Kezorples.' Ten repeated. 'A trading race – they exchange power sources, technology, food, engine parts, and anything else they need with about twelve other planets. Galyen supplies fuel for their ships and kitchens. Sounds like one of them got a bit greedy. Well, that's just not fair.' A grin formed on the Doctor's face, and he set off in the direction of the triangular building.

Michael clapped his hands, while Martha and the small galler hurried to keep up.

/\/\

Secluded inside the building was a large conference-styled room. At least a dozen gallers sat around on blocks, all gurgling nervously as they looked across the room to where a dark brown-coloured alien stood at a control podium. The keznorple, as it was called, was mostly humanoid - apart from the bumpy head, and elfish ears. The most notable features were the clawed hands, and mean look.

'Fine!' It declared in an angry, female voice. 'If you won't give me what I want then I'll have to take it.' She smirked. The keznorple hovered her clawed hand over a big, red button in the center of the podium she stood at.

The gallers shrieked with panic, but didn't move - their softer bodies were no match for her threatening claws or vicious arrogance. They were a peaceful race by nature, whereas she was every as bit greedy and power-hungry as a being could be.

'This wretched planet has all the power source I need to fuel my weapon supply!' The keznorple declared. 'It'll give me have all the energy I ever need. People will be paying me for power!'

The gallers whined and looked around, hoping for someone to stand up and stop her. They were frightened, and didn't know how to deal with such a hostile situation.

'No one in this room can change my mind!' The keznorple laughed, lowering her clawed hand towards the button.

The double doors of the room burst open. The gallers reduced their panicked sounds to hushed gurgles, as a man walked confidently into the room. His smile was wide, and composure relaxed, but the fire in his gaze spoke more volumes than his demeanour.

'Hello!' Ten greeted them. 'I'm the Doctor. And you really don't want to push that button.' He turned towards his left to stare at the keznorple.

Martha followed behind him, with Michael sitting in her arms to play with a squishy blue ball attached to his wrist with a rubbery string so he wouldn't drop it. The small galler crept into the room beside her, shyly looking around Martha to the fully grown gallers. They were shocked to notice his presence in such an important room, given his smaller size and insecurity.

'Actually, I do.' The keznorple frowned at the Doctor, not even caring who he was.

'No. No, you don't.' Ten stated casually. He tucked his hands into his pockets, watching the brown alien with focused determination.

'Yes, I do!' She growled, lowering her hand towards the button again.

The doctor glanced quickly at the button, and assumed it would release the energy reserves in the form of a blast. Such a huge shock-wave would send the energy up to her awaiting ship, at the cost of destroying the healthy ground and air of the city. It was ironic that removing mass amounts of raw energy from the planet at once would also contribute to its destruction.

'Okay.' Ten shrugged, moving to sit on a block beside one of the gallers. 'Your funeral.'

The keznorple smirked and looked at the button, but didn't press it. She pressed her teeth together and growled, unable to ignore his words so easily in her own doubt. She turned to glare angrily at him.

'What?'

'Hm?' Ten glanced back at the podium. 'Oh, nothing. Just, well, your people are rather fond of doing business with this planet. They have sent an entire fleet to stop you, if you were to cause any trouble. Do you know what a Magna Wave is? I guess we'll find out.'

'How did they even know I was here?' The keznorple demanded to know, in disbelief and building paranoia.

'Well.' Ten gave Martha a sly look, then answered the keznorple. 'Some madman with a box probably tipped them off.'

'Who are you?' The alien furiously stepped towards him.

'Like I said, I'm the Doctor.' Ten leaned forward at the desk. 'And you really don't want to push that button.'

The windows lit up with a bright light beamed down from overhead ships. A voice, in a language Martha didn't know, spoke through a loudspeaker.

The keznorple looked terrified.

She unlatched a gun-like weapon from her belt, and hurried for the door. Martha, who was holding Michael, immediately stepped out of the way for the little boy's sake. Ten was on his feet in an instant, but the keznorple had halted at the doorway. The small galler stood in her way, his arms held out to block her escape. It was shaking from fear, or anger, but was determined not to let her get away.

'Move!' The keznorple hissed, aiming her gun at his head.

Ten didn't have time to act, as the other gallers in the room hurried forward and joined the small one in the doorway.

They were a peaceful race; they didn't fight, they didn't carry weapons, and they never threatened. Yet there they stood, hindering the keznorple's escape simply by refusing to move. Ten watched with respect, knowing the keznorple's weapon had to charge a full minute before she could fire it again – even if she did take down one of the gallers, there was no chance she would escape. He knew she'd try, and likely lash out with her claws. The blades could do a lot of damage to soft skin, and the gallers knew it. The small one puffed out its chest in pride to being surrounded by the others instead of being cast to the side.

It didn't care if it was going to die right then – for that brave moment, it was one of its own kind.

'This is a planet of energy to you, keznorple.' Ten stated. He approached the group from the side to protectively stand between the alien and his son, just in case. 'To them, it's their home. This air you breath, and the ground at your feet, is completely theirs. Of course they're going to defend it.'

'They are nothing!' The keznorple dismissed angrily. She lowered her weapon, in aware of her own defeat, but her fury only increased. 'All this potential – wasted! All the weapons they could create - they could rule the universe!'

'They don't want to rule, or destroy.' Ten frowned. 'What's the point in that? No, they bring life to every corner and every planet in the universe. They turned a planet on the brink of destruction into a fuel source, and a home.'

The intimidating sound of marching footsteps were heard in the corridor beyond the room. A group of keznorples walked into view, and the gallers parted to allow them access to the vengeful prisoner. She howled and fought, but her people were stronger. They carried her way, while one remained behind to speak in a rushed language to the Doctor.

It saluted, then left.

'What did it say?' Martha wondered.

'Uh...you know, stuff.' Ten winced. 'Something about thanks, and food vouchers.'

'You don't know?' Martha chuckled. 'I thought you spoke everything?'

'Yeah, well, my keznorplic is a bit rusty.' Ten shrugged, reaching to take Michael from her arms.

He gave the boy a kiss on the forehead, and turned to watch the gallers huddling around the smaller one to congratulate it. The small galler was in tears, trying to pull the smile it had mirrored from Michael earlier, and shook hands with his people. It then stepped away and approached the toddler, offering Michael his nose as if thanking the little boy.

Michael held the trunk-like nose and cuddled it, then leaned to pat the galler's head. Ten crouched so the boy could properly reach, and the galler made a laughing sound. The Doctor smiled, until the moment was interrupted by a violent shaking beneath their feet.

The gallers whined and returned to the control console at the wall behind the podium to check what was going on. Ten hurried to the only balcony window the building had, and peered over the railing to see a small shed beside the building had an open door. It was the only thing out of place, apart from the way the ground shook every few minutes.

'What's in there?' Martha asked, joining his side.

'It goes underground to the fuel tanks that feed up to the pumps.' He hung over the rail to get a better look at the higher roofs where ships still came and went to refuel. Pulling back, Ten hurried to the console and scanned it with his sonic screwdriver. Checking the readings, he begun to push buttons and flip switches.

The gallers complained, but let him.

The smaller galler joined Martha on the wide balcony and noticed the shed, though it had to climb up a bit to see over the railing. He looked at the Doctor rushing around the controls, then turned to the door. Martha called out when it ran from the room with a determined look, and instantly caught the Doctor's attention.

He slipped Michael from the carrier, and handed the boy to Martha.

'Stay here.' He instructed, then ran after the galler.

'You have an idea, don't you?' Ten called, following behind it to descend the stairs and leave the building.

'Gekt!' The galler replied, pointing to the shed. A big lever with a thick handle was spotted on the side of the shed, for emergency stabilising and interference overide.

'Oh, brilliant!' Ten grinned. 'Of course you do. All that imagination in one mind, brilliant!'

He reached the lever and tried to push it down. A red light flickered beside it – the lever didn't budge. The Doctor used his screwdriver to figure out why it wasn't working, and didn't like the readings he got.

The ground shook again, and the echoed sound of Michael crying from the building above spurred the Doctor onwards. He and the galler went inside the shed - there was a set of steps descending down to where the fuel storage chamber was.

'Let me guess, the back-up controls are down there?' Ten sighed.

'Gekt.' The galler nodded.

'In that case, Allons-y!' Ten yelled, and jumped down the short ladder.

He slipped on the smooth stone floor when another quake shook the ground. Ten grabbed blindly at the side of a large console table, and breathed with relief. The galler joined him, and was fearful of the railing opposite the control table.

'You really do need better security in there.' Ten commented, flipping the toggle switches that controlled the fuel dispersion. He realised he had to revert the settings back to default, in order to pull the lever that would stablise the energy and avoid total destruction of the planet.

Frowning, he fiddled with some controls and pressed buttons in effort to get the right combination.

'Ah!' Ten leaned forward and pressed a big, green button. 'Got it. Now for the lever-' He started to say, but was thrown backwards by a forceful jolt from below.

The heat was rising rapidly, but the Doctor couldn't get to his feet. The quaking was too constant, and soon a big jerk sent him flying backwards to the railing. Clinging on for life, as not to be flung into the raw energy stored below in the tank, the Doctor looked desperately to the small galler. It whined in fear, holding to the ladder for its life, and realised what had to be done. He grabbed the ladder and climbed, being careful not to fall. It hurried to the doorway and went outside. The lever was out of it's short reach, but the galler made a curious sound and tilted its head when it saw the green light flicker on.

A woman stood there, having pulled the lever down, and both gasped with relief.

The galler asked who she was, but the woman merely smiled and walked away. It continued to watch her, then was startled when the Doctor practically fell out of the doorway. Ten grinned and laughed, as the shaking stopped and everything returned to normal.

'Brilliant!' Ten said, patting the galler on the back. 'Tall or smaller, you were absolutely brilliant.'

The galler made a purring sound and his cheeks darkened. Other gallers emerged from nearby buildings and homes to see what was going on, and realised the small one they'd cast as their outsider was suddenly their hero.

Ten smiled at the warm gratitude the small galler received, and returned to the triangular building. He headed up to where Martha and the other gallers waited. Ten lifted Michael up and gave him a kiss, to which Michael gave him a sloppy one in return. It was a job well done, and no one was hurt. The sunlight streamed over the balcony and into the room, prompting the Doctor to grab Martha's hand to lead her outside.

'Sunset.' Ten smiled, stepping out into the golden orange and purple light erupted between the pale blue clouds.

'It's beautiful.' Martha gasped, admiring the way the light shone over the whole city.

They stood on the top floor of an observation tower, which also had a flat roof for fuelling – like every other building in the city did. The deck attached to the side of the top resembled a castle balcony – made of stone with a bumpy top wall all around to prevent the observers from falling.

The Doctor put Michael on the ground, where the little boy walked to the wall on wobbly feet. The barrier had tiny vertical slits that were just wide enough for Michael to look through in equal awe of the stunning sight. It was the first time Martha had seen the little boy walking around. The Doctor rested his hands inside his pockets, and leaned against the pillar to the right.

It was a calm moment of peace, and Martha wondered if it could possibly be more than a wonderful dream. Only minutes ago, the whole planet had been about to explode – it would have killed an entire race of gallers and anyone from all of the universe who had stopped there for fuel at the time. That was the beauty of Galyen – life is never certain, but for every second they are alive they truly lived in the moment with happiness and gratitude.

Martha creased her expression when she experienced an odd feeling of being watched.

Turning around, she saw a woman standing just outside the shadows of the building. She didn't join them on the observation deck, but Martha was surprised by how human she looked. The woman had brown hair, and was shorter in hieght than her, and Martha was almost certain the woman was indeed just as human as she was. She watched the sunset with a smile, then glanced at Martha.

Before Martha could speak, the woman raised a finger to her lips as if to signal silence. Stepping back into the shadows, she vanished from sight. Martha hurried forward, but whoever the stranger had been – she was gone.

'Martha?' The Doctor asked.

'There was...Nevermind.' Martha sighed, rejoining him on the deck. 'Everything's good now, yeah?'

'The keznorples arrested their rogue saleswoman, and the energy was stablised – Galyen lives another day.' Ten nodded, with a light frown of bafflement 'Although, I do wonder how. The galler couldn't really reach the lever and I didn't get there in time. No one else was around to lower it...Well, I guess we'll never know.'

'Maybe someone jumped in at the last minute?' Martha shrugged, glancing over her shoulder where the woman had been standing moments ago.

'Yeah.' Ten smiled, still watching the sunset.

'Marta!' Michael tugged at Martha's clothes. 'Up!'

Martha looked down at the toddler with surprise; he'd never spoken any variant of her name before, nor ever asked her to pick him up. She smiled at his insisting, and lifted the boy into her arms. He was too adorable to resist, anyway.

'Sun!' Michael pointed to the sky. 'Clouds. Night coming.'

'Yeah.' She nodded. 'That's right.'

A flash of purple filled the sky, then it quickly faded to absolute darkness. The sunset shone brilliantly for a few more seconds before night completely fell. The city hardly looked any different, as it was lit by the beams of overhead ships still coming and going. Martha realised the city didn't have electricity to light its streets, as the never-ending presence of ships was enough.

Galyen truly lived by the lives of the universe.

'Hungry.' Michael grumbled. 'Daddy!'

'Quite right, too.' Ten nodded, lifting his son into his arms to lead the way back to the Tardis. 'What should we have to eat, Michael?'

'Bananas!' Michael waved his arms in excitement.

'Oh, I like your thinking.' The Doctor chuckled.

Martha followed behind them, still in awe of the planet, and wondered who their mysterious helper had been.

She joined them inside the Tardis and kept Michael occupied with toys while Ten made cringe-worthy sounds in the kitchen. The toddler seemed more open to Martha's presence now, as he offered her his toys to play with or handed her books to read him. Martha smiled at the cuteness of it all, and in relief that the boy did like her, but she remembered the small galler waving to them before they'd headed back into space. The small alien had been an outsider even on his own home planet. L

ooking down at the half-human junior Time Lord, Martha was reminded of other outsiders.

The Doctor had been the last of his people, and now he had Michael – a child who was both Time Lord and human. Martha was now the outsider – she sat in their home, the Tardis, and wasn't a member of their little family. She had an entire planet of her own people, and her own family, waiting at home for her - but inside the Tardis she was the outsider. She was the alien visitor they allowed into their world of time and space.

'Where do you want to go next?' The Doctor called from nearby.

'Earth.' Martha decided.

'Missing home?' Ten peeked around a doorway, his spiked hair covered with flour.

'Yeah.' She nodded with a smile. 'Just a bit.'

Ten nodded and vanished back into the kitchen. Martha looked down at Michael, and realised how lucky she was. She had her whole planet, her home, and even if she was an outsider in the Tardis – she had somewhere else to go, where people were waiting for her return. Michael, from what she'd heard, never knew any other home than the ship they were in. The Doctor had lost his home. She could go home any time she wanted, but they never could.

Martha was an outsider with them, but Michael and the Doctor were the outsiders of the entire universe.


	5. Shop Until You Drop

**Author's Notes: **Apologies for the delay; I've been preparing for the next two chapters - Martha's final ones. This chapter officially voids any stories related to or caused by the Master, as the main events of episode "Utopia" do not happen. A reminder that any chapters where it or portions are re-written or inspired by an episode or show storyline may contain minor dialogue or similar incidences from episodes, thus spoilers may occur.

* * *

**Chapter Five: Shop Until You Drop**

It had been a busy several months after leaving Galyen, though life of a time traveller always was. They saved a ship of the 42nd century from falling into the sun, escaped the family of blood, travelled to an old house in Wester Drumlins where weeping angels sent them back to the 1960s, and finally the group came to stop in Cardiff.

'You couldn't refuel at Galyen?' Martha wondered, once the Doctor explained they were using a rift as pit-stop for the Tardis.

'Nah.' Ten said, adjusting some controls. 'Galyen energy isn't the same – it works for most ships out there, but the Tardis is unique. It runs on Arktron energy, like the space rift. Fuelling the Tardis at Galyen would be like putting diesel in a petrol engine. If I'd filled the Tardis up there, she would have crashed.'

'Oh.' Martha nodded, deciding it mostly made sense.

'Daddy?' Michael wandered over, having gotten better at walking in the past few months.

Much like his father, the little boy loved to run. Ten thought it was cute and funny at first, how Michael would just get up and run around, until he almost lost his son in the maze of the Tardis. Since then, the ship adapted invisible Michael-proof shields around the console room when the Doctor let him move around on his own.

'No.' Ten said to the boy, without looking down at the toddler.

'Daddy?' Michael frowned, tugging at his father's clothes. 'I wanna go outside.'

'No.' The Doctor repeated. 'Not yet, Michael. This is just a quick stop. Then we're off to 1951 to watch the re-discovery of the cahow birds. People thought they'd become extinct in 1615.'

Michael made a sound of protest, and walked away to look up at Martha. She shook her head, and the little boy stomped his feet.

'How did they disappear, the cahow birds?' Martha asked curiously, walking over to the Doctor.

'No idea.' Ten grinned, excited to find out.

'Daddy, I wanna go outside.' Michael said again, pressing his palms against the wooden doors of the Tardis.

'Don't let him out.' Ten sternly told the ship, knowing the Tardis often favoured the boy.

Michael sighed sadly, and crouched on the floor, patting the door with his chubby hands in longing. Ten looked over and saw his son's dejected disappointment.

'Oh, why not?' Ten changed his mind with a smile. 'Finito. All powered up – let's go, Michael!' He ran over to his son with a bundle of energy and enthusiasm.

Michael squealed with excitement, as Ten scooped him up and lifted the boy high. Martha rolled her eyes, and stepped out of the Tardis alongside them.

'Thanks, Daddy.' Michael hugged the Doctor. The boy looked around at the afternoon sunlight, and observed the people in the area.

The Doctor had expected it to be somewhat crowded, with people talking and going about their ordinary lives, though the sight displayed around them wasn't entirely that. The people weren't quiet or absent, yet different somehow. He couldn't quite figure it out – if anything, they were rather distracted and uninterested. Sometimes he wondered if that's how they really were or if it's simply how he saw them.

Shrugging it off, the Doctor focused on his son when the little boy gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

'That's quite alright, Michael.' Ten smiled. 'Where do you want to go first?'

_'Doctor!'_

The trio turned to look when Captain Jack Harkness came running towards them. The Doctor cringed and made a step backwards, as if intending to flee in the Tardis. He sighed, and remained there as he had unofficially promised Michael some time outside.

Jack came to a crashing halt in front of them, and bent to catch his breath.

'I thought you were gonna leave without me.' Jack gasped.

'Nah.' Ten said, being rather evasive in avoidance of looking at Jack. 'I wouldn't do that.'

'You did do that.' Jack frowned. He straightened, and noticed the toddler held in the Doctor's arms. His gaze then shifted to Martha. 'Captain Jack Harkness. And who are you?'

'Martha Jones.' She answered.

'Nice to meet you, Martha Jones.' Jack charmed her a friendly grin, making her blush.

'Oh, don't start.' Ten rolled his eyes. 'Not in front of Michael.' He held his son closer, as if trying to shield the boy from Jack's inappropriate ways.

'I don't mind.' Martha said.

'Michael?' Jack looked at the toddler again. 'Your companions keep getting younger.' He joked.

'He's my son.' Ten said. 'Rose's son, and my son. Our son. Rose and I had a son. Michael, say hello.'

'Hello.' Michael smiled at Jack, making grabbing motions with his hands.

'Wow.' Jack stared at the blonde boy. 'Did you actually do the deed with Rose, or was some kinky Tardis stuff involved? I didn't know Time Lords and humans were compatible.'

'Neither did I. They shouldn't be - not on that, uh, level.' Ten glanced away somewhat awkwardly, focusing on Michael.

'He looks just like her.' Jack commented.

'Yes he does.' Ten said proudly. Martha rolled her eyes beside them.

'I got to ask.' Jack frowned with a hint of grief. 'The Battle of Canary Wharf. I saw the list of the dead. It said Rose Tyler.'

'Oh, no!' Ten smiled at the chance to change bad news to good. 'Sorry, she's alive!'

'You're kidding.' Jack grinned with relief.

'Parallel world, safe and sound.' The Doctor added. 'And Mickey, and her mother.'

'Oh, yes!' Jack looked about to hug him, but Michael would be wedged in the way. He offered the Doctor a high five instead, which Ten accepted.

'Good old Rose.' Martha commented dryly.

'Daddy!' Michael whined, bored of the social interactions. 'Outside.'

'Yes. Sorry, Michael.' Ten nodded. 'We are outside. Where would you like to go?'

'Shops.' The toddler clapped his hands. 'Chips!'

'Ah yes, definitely the child of Rose Tyler.' Ten said fondly. 'Alright, Michael, let's go get some chips!'

'Chips!' The boy cheered, waving his hands so hazardously he almost smacked the Doctor in the face.

Ten carried his son in the direction of the nearest shopping mall, not bothering to go back into the Tardis to retrieve the carrier. It was modern day Cardiff; he doubted there'd be much need for a carrier as they were just going for a walk. Martha trailed along, listening to Jack talk about how he'd gotten away from his experience with the Daleks and found himself in the twenty-first century. The Doctor commented once or twice, but mostly occupied his time with Michael.

Partially oblivious to the conversation behind them, Ten and Michael pointed to displays in the windows and smiled at various people wandering by as if they'd never been in Cardiff before.

'I think it matches my eyes.' One woman said to her mother, admiring the bright blue band around her wrist. She stated it with fact, not smiling or looking pleased by her fashionable coordination. Her mother nodded, as if it captured all her attention yet didn't impress her even the slightest.

'I thought it would cost more. I can barely pay off my mortgage as it is.' Another man said, crossing their path as he conversed with a friend about his shiny new watch. Despite his words, the men in suits didn't seem worried about money trouble. They stared at the watch as they walked, and continued general conversation about it on their way to a large building nearby where the Doctor watched them with curiosity.

Something felt different, though he couldn't quite figure out what.

Ten turned on the spot, almost having Martha and Jack crash into him when they reached him. He noticed more people in the crowd, none of them laughing or rambling in a way he expected of humans, though each wore something new and shiny. It wasn't just the watches, bracelets, earrings, or rings that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight, but the little inscriptions engraved into each of them. They were tiny letterings, easily overlooked, yet the Doctor noticed the markings with a strange sense of familiarity.

'Doctor?' Martha wondered.

'Hm?' He blinked, looking at her. 'Right. Chips.' Ten turned to enter the mall and begun trying to locate the food court.

'Chips!' Michael repeated. 'Daddy, look!'

'Brilliant!' Ten moved closer to the window of a clothing store, which sold various mixture of modern colours and patterns on older fashioned clothes.

'There he goes.' Martha sighed, watching the Doctor enter the store as if the walls were made of sweets.

'He does that.' Jack chuckled, amused, and followed after him.

'What do you think?' Ten held a leather jacket against his chest, when the other two entered.

Michael sat on a sofa-styled chair nearby, his tiny fingers fiddling with the mini top hat on his head.

'Eh.' Martha frowned. 'It's not really your style, is it?'

'Reminds me of your previous regeneration.' Jack said, eyeing nearby clothes with temptation.

'Hm.' Ten looked the jacket over again, then returned it to the rack.

'Daddy!' Michael discarded the hat, and moved to pull things from a nearby display box. He held up a green piece of material, waving it like a flag.

'A bow tie?' Ten tilted his head, contemplating. 'Eh, I dunno. Maybe not with this face.'

'Why are we in a clothes shop?' Martha wondered, browsing shirts nearby. 'It's not like you ever change what you're wearing.'

'Why can't we be in a clothes shop?' Ten wondered, putting back the collection of items Michael had grabbed at random. 'I might have a sudden desire to wear a top hat, or a bow tie. Or a leather jacket. Well, maybe. I might. You never know, I do all sorts of weird things.'

He picked Michael up, and turned to watch a woman at the counter fussing with unpacking a new bracelet from a brown box with _" "_ printed on the side. Martha followed his gaze and nodded, walking over to the counter to start a conversation in a way women were often rather natural with. The Doctor turned to look for Jack, but the man had apparently vanished.

'I could wear a bow tie.' Ten uttered to himself, looking at the object he'd returned to the box. 'Or a top hat. Or a leather jacket. Maybe not with this face. Well. I could.'

'And you'd look ridiculous.' Jack joked, approaching him from behind to use the nearby full-length mirror. He turned to check out the new black pants he wore – which was all he wore.

'You changed your pants; why remove your shirt?' The Doctor titled his head.

'Just trying out the full outfit.' Jack said, checking how his rear looked in the pants.

'Full outfit?' Ten frowned. 'Oh, never mind. It is you.'

Jack grinned at him with a sly look through the reflection of the mirror, and continued checking himself out, while listening to Martha when she rejoined them.

'It's a new Arklore range.' Martha told them. 'Came out last week. They're supposed to help with stress and health-related stuff. Some rings claim to cure sicknesses. That's a load of rubbish, if you ask me.'

'Aklore.' Ten repeated, turning the word over in his mind. 'Where have I heard that before? Aklore. Aklore – oh! Erolka!'

'What's that?' Martha tried to will herself not to stare at Jack, as he turned around half-naked in front of her. 'Some sort of alien?'

'Oh yes!' Ten grinned. 'Very crafty, and very dangerous.'

'Then why are you smiling?'

Ten beamed at her, and hurried from the store with Michael in his arms.

Jack glanced over his shoulder and muttered something about not losing him again. He quickly paid for the pants, though the ladies at the counter were too distracted by his bare chest to pay much attention. Jack pulled up the suspenders, but didn't bother with a shirt. His lack of complete attire should have led to more staring from the crowds outside the store, if something weren't clearly wrong.

'Sleepy?' Michael spoke, watching an older couple collapse onto the floor.

'Ah, yeah.' Ten swallowed, positioning his son to face him instead of the domino-like wave of people falling to the floor or leaning against sides of shops. 'Just sleeping.'

'They're wearing one of those Aklore, Erolka, _whatever,_ things.' Jack pointed out.

'What's happened to them?' Martha worried, hurrying to check on a pregnant woman who sat heavily on a bench.

The woman's eyes remained open, though paled at the pupils, and she didn't respond to anything. There appeared to be no pattern between the people who looked asleep, and those whose eyes stared wide open and unresponsive.

'It works.' Ten said seriously. 'They don't feel stress because it's being sucked right out of them. They don't feel sick because the pain is gone. The inscriptions – ancient Erolka technology. It absorbs all life from the nervous system, all sense of feeling, and feeds it to the devices.'

'Whoever is behind this will need the devices, right?' Jack guessed. 'They'd have to get them from all these people?'

'Nah, not really.' Ten shook his head. 'A simple, standard telportation-routed magnet will do.'

With a hum and shimmer of blue light, every Aklore range piece of jewellery or watch vanished from the victims.

'Is that all?' Martha muttered sarcastically.

'Not all of them were wearing something – why are they all knocked out?' Jack studiously looked around at the small children, elderly, teenagers, men and woman who were collapsed all over the place.

Not a single one of the shoppers or guests were still properly conscious.

'Uh...' Ten furrowed his eyebrows, and left his mouth hanging open, while he tried to work out the answer. 'That – that is a good question. I don't know. Where did they get the Erolka technology from, anyway? The Erolkians have been gone for centuries. Their whole planet was destroyed. No one should have access to this.'

'Maybe someone picked it up when they visited?' Martha shrugged. 'Before the planet was destroyed, obviously.'

'There's only three species in all existence that could even set foot on Planet Erolka. Erolkians, Plamdans, and Time Lords.' The Doctor told them, glancing at his son held securely in his arms. 'Well, full Time Lords. Those born on Gallifrey. You wouldn't steal Erolkian technology and put everyone to sleep, would you Michael?' He cooed to his son, who giggled.

'So, maybe the Plamdans stole it?' Jack shrugged. 'They're those big aliens with the vents on their skin, right?'

'Oh.' Ten realised. 'Of course. Yes! The Plamdans. Why didn't I think of that?'

'You did.' Martha frowned. 'You said-'

'Enough talking - we've got to find the Plamdans!' Ten said, staring around wildly while holding Michael close. 'They're big, bulky creatures – surely even you lot would have noticed them?'

'Is he insulting us?' Martha asked Jack.

'Rose said he insults species when he's stressed.' Jack shrugged with considerable casualness given the current situation. 'He has a point, though. Plamdans aren't know for being subtle or sneaky.'

'They can be very sneaky.' Ten corrected. 'But not like this. Not at all like this.' He looked around at the fallen people again, contemplative.

Martha and Jack stood there, watching, as the Doctor paced with Michael in his arms.

He rambled about ships, humans noticing and not noticing, as well as rattled off strings of theories and more questions. He halted at the sound of a strange hiss originating from the air ducts in the ceiling high above them. They all looked up in time to see green-toned gas whooshing into the room. It didn't fill the shopping mall entirely – instead forming a fog-like cloud hovering no lower than five feet off the ground. All the unconscious shoppers were safe from it, though the gas quickly solved the mystery of how they had all collapsed at once.

'Doctor?' Martha asked nervously, unsure if they were supposed to be running for their life or not.

'Of course!' Ten declared, waving his hand to keep the substance away from Michael's face. 'Plamdan gas! The vents on their skin! Oh, that's clever. They release the gas on a regular basis to detox the acid in their stomach. But - if released at once, it can cause a chemical composition strong enough to...'

The Doctor looked behind him when he heard Martha cough, and worriedly watched her slide onto a bench in upright position. Martha's head dropped against the wood back, and her eyes fluttered closed.

Jack lay on the floor beside her, sprawled out like a half-naked human starfish.

'...Knock out a human.' Ten finished. 'Sorry.' He winced, and checked on his son.

Michael looked up at him with his matching brown eyes. For a hopeful moment, the Doctor was sure the half Time Lord genetic part of the boy had protected him from the effects of the gas. Michael's eyes began to droop, and Ten cradled the boy close as his son slowly fell asleep against him.

'It's okay.' He said emotionally, pressing his lips to Michael's forehead. 'You're okay. Just sleeping. No one is going to hurt you, Michael. No one, you hear me?' He closed his eyes with mounting dread, then walked over to where Martha rested on the bench with Jack near her feet.

With hesitated reluctance, the Doctor slowly placed his sleeping toddler against Martha's side. He pulled off his coat and bunched it up for the boy to use as a pillow. His jacket came off next, for a blanket. He tugged the tie loose from his neck and draped it over the back of the bench, simply because he didn't feel like wearing it with just his shirt and pants.

There was a rumbling sound from nearby, which Ten instinctively reached for the pocket of his jacket he was no longer wearing. Patting himself down with confusion, he glanced at his son's sleeping form.

'Ah.' Ten remembered, bending to get the sonic screwdriver from inside the makeshift coat pillow. 'Daddy needs his screwdriver now, Michael. Sleep safe.' He brushed blonde hair from the boy's face, which had been growing a lot faster lately, and turned to face the direction of the rumbling.

His expression twisted with serious determination, and the Doctor wasn't about to let anything happen to anyone he cared about. The gas had knocked out all the humans – they lay or crouched all around him without any awareness of the danger they were in. They were completely defenceless, entirely unknowing, and in need of someone to protect them. Facts like that were always enough for the Doctor to make a stand, but the fierceness in his entire posture had stemmed from an even greater reason.

With one final glance at Michael's peaceful face, the Doctor hurried over and around the shoppers to make his way across the mall. He passed stores of many varieties, all still and filled with the slumbering forms of humans. It was a blur, and he kept running. Turning several corners at fast speed, the Doctor skidded to a stop on the polished floor.

'Hello, I'm the Doctor.' He said to the two people leaving an accessory store towards the right.

The man and woman in suits stared at him with surprise, each their arms weighed down by containers of the Aklore company items – watches, necklaces, earrings, cuff-links, bracelets, rings, brooches, hair pins, and so on. They placed the boxes on a nearby stack, then growled at the Doctor. Their eyes turned a muddy green, and their skin quivered as if it homed a thousand ants underneath. The man looked around, while the woman titled her head in a way a human would not be capable of without breaking the spine.

'Yeah.' Ten stated. 'Just me. I came with my friends, but...Well, your gas knocked them out. Can't have that. And Erolka technology? Really? Did you think no one would notice?'

'You are friends with humans?' The man growled. 'You befriend weak pink creatures?'

'Oh yes.' The Doctor said with pride.

While he talked, the the skin began to dissolve from the man and woman. The flesh underneath was a camouflage of brown and green, which swelled so they could expand to their additional three feet of height and size. Their green eyes bulged, and slices appeared all over their skin to vent a regular puff of gas.

'They're not weak. A little pink, some of them, yeah – but not weak. They're brave, and imaginative, and _so_ full of hope. They dream, and create, and find it all very fascinating. They talk about it, share it, and _tweet_ about it.' He cringed at the thought of Twitter. 'Then you lot come along. Oh, you've just made this whole place dull. All those people, walking around with no emotion or enthusiasm. They're like robots, but not the particularly useful or advanced ones. Just sweeping robots, that sweep the floor. Important, but boring. So very boring.'

'They are not important!' The male growled, stretching his large limbs. 'The noisy pests are primitive at best.'

'A whole planet of them, and they do nothing!' The female added, taking a step closer. The Doctor merely stared confidently at them without fear. 'They consume garbage, sleep when there's moonlight, and talk endlessly of nonsense. They don't shut up!'

'Noisy.' The male complained. 'So noisy. But ripe with emotions. Yummy!'

'Right, the emotion-eaters. Why else would the Plamdan want Erolka technology?' Ten disapproved. 'How did you get it, eh? Planet Erolka's gone. And why here – why Earth?'

His words caused a ripple of laughter between the Plamdans, who clutched their swollen bellies with mirth. Their roared sound of glee made the Doctor narrow his eyes with suspicion. Slowly, with increasing displeasure Ten realised why the destruction of Erolka would amuse them so much.

He didn't speak, since there was no one around he needed to explain to, but he was furious.

The planet Erolka could only be visited by three species; no other ship could even get close to the atmosphere without risk of damage and death. He doubted the Erolkians would destroy their own home and race, and the Time Lords certainly hadn't done it. The planet was protected even from missiles and sun rays – that left only one option. A Plamdan ship would have no trouble landing on the surface of Erolka.

'Why?' Ten looked angrily at the large creatures slowly advancing on him. 'What did they ever do to you? How is any form of technology worth destroying an entire species? Why!' He demanded to know.

The plamdan pair merely laughed louder. They raised their large hands, looming over the Doctor with the clear intend to kill him. He was just another pest to them – just someone who got in the way. Despite that, they hesitated very slightly when he showed no fear of them. The Doctor stood there, staring upwards at them with an expression of impersonal grief and stubborn bravery.

'You are not scared?' The female growled. 'I could crush your puny head with my bare hands!'

'Go on, then.' Ten challenged, not moving from the spot. 'I'm not scared of bullies. That's all you are really, bullies. You come along and leech off others – taking their emotions and technology, and for what? You don't need it, not really. Plamdans have a steady food supply wherever they go. Sure, emotions are like ice cream – sweet and satisfying, but you can't just eat ice cream all day. Well, not every day.'

'You talk like them.' The male said, with another puff of gas flushing from the vents on his skin. It floated towards the Doctor, who merely fanned it off with his hand. 'But you are not human.'

'That's all you do – take, take, take!' Ten continued. 'A thousand years ago, Plamdania was a place known across the universe as the planet of the never-ending swamps. Now, an entire race who once shared and traded just takes. You bully, and take. You give in to even the smallest of temptation to rob others from selfish envy and greed. That makes _you_ weak, not them.'

'What are you?' The male roared, his breath making the Doctor cough from the stench of the extra gas travelling up from the stomach.

'I'm a Time Lord. I'm over 900 years old.' Ten said firmly, raising his sonic screwdriver without taking his eyes off the creatures standing dangerously over him. 'I'm the Doctor. And I hate bullies.'

/\/\

Jack mumbled and rolled over, reaching with his hand as if he was trying to stroke someone he assumed would be beside him. Blinking at the vacant spot of cold floor instead, he sat up and tried to remember where he was.

'This is not the Medeekior Palace royal bedroom.' He frowned, checking himself over. Seeing he was wearing pants, Jack sighed with disappointment and got to his feet. As he dusted himself off (they were new pants, after all), he began to remember where he was.

People all around him were groaning and starting to wake. Little children cried, and those with less healthy lungs continued to cough out the last of the gas. Jack crossed his arms moodily when he realised he'd slept through all the action, and turned to check Martha was alright.

'What happened?' She asked, wincing as she sat up from her slightly twisted position on the bench.

'Plamdans.' Jack said. 'That's all I remember.' Knowing gas was involved, he sniffed himself to make sure none of it had lingered; nothing was as unattractive as a disgusting stench.

'Plamdans, indeed.' Ten said, walking towards them with his sonic screwdriver in hand. His hair was wet, and his sleeves torn up to the elbows as if they'd been eaten off by a rabid dog. Apart from a green smudge on his nose, the Doctor looked fine; a little annoyed, but otherwise okay.

'What happened?' Jack wanted to know. 'Why did I miss all the fun? Last time I passed out while someone else was having a good time, it involved an angry gloonspon and eight flesh-eating Bakavahs.' He shuddered.

'Oh, nothing much.' Ten shrugged. 'Sonic waves and Erolka technology tend to cause an ignition. It's completely harmless, if you're more than a few feet away. Well, unless you're a creature made of gas, of course. Or a robot, I suppose. I guess _"completely harmless"_ really isn't the right term at all.'

'You...Burned them? Alive?' Martha stared in horror. She had no idea what the creatures were like, but couldn't believe the Doctor would set someone on fire just to stop them.

'No.' Ten frowned at her, mildly offended by the suggestion. 'I gave them a choice. I warned them that their thievery and gas would kill all the people on this planet if they stayed. I told them to leave.'

'And?' Jack asked, skeptical.

'They laughed.' Ten answered. Though his expression remained controlled, his eyes flashed with annoyance. 'They left me no choice.'

'So, you did burn them?' Jack tried to clarify.

'No, again. They changed their shape to hide in plain sight – that's how they were able to blend in.' Ten explained. 'Normally they can't do that, but Erolka technology is very flexible. They were wearing bands, sort of like a moleculare space modification transmitter power source, bound against the acidic flesh cells of their skin. I just reversed the polarity of its organic programming, and their own mutated greed forced them to absorb the chemical energy of the constrained raw source.'

'What?' Martha stared at him, utterly confused.

'I sent all the emotions and sensations they'd been collecting to their bands. The Plamdans absorbed them through the acidic layer of their skin, and it was too much for them to handle. Their dessert became their poison.' The Doctor said, tossing and catching the sonic screwdriver. 'Really, eight Bakavahs, Jack? However did you survive that?' He wondered, walking around Martha to where Michael would have woken by now.

The Doctor briefly glanced at Jack, seeing a few faded tiny bite mark scars on Jack's chest and realised he probably hadn't gotten away from the Bakavahs quite so easily.

Wanting to make sure Michael was indeed fine, his eyes fell to the space of the bench where the coat and jacket remained bunched into an improvised sleeping space.

All the fear, panic, and insecurity the Doctor had lacked when facing the Plamdan suddenly burst through his senses the moment Ten noticed his little boy was gone. Michael was nowhere to be seen.

'Where is he?' Ten spun crazily on the spot, dashing frantically around in search of his precious child. 'Where is he!'

'Michael?' Martha worried, mentally berating herself for not noticing the child was meant to be beside her. She hadn't seen him when she'd woken, and only found it odd that Jack was passed out nearby and the Doctor's clothes had been on the bench.

'He's part Time Lord, right?' Jack tried to instil logic into the situation. 'He probably woke before us, as the gas would have worn off quicker, and wandered off.'

The Doctor wasn't hearing any of it. He gasped and leaned forward, prompting Martha to rush to his side and check his breathing.

'He's having a panic attack.' She said with surprise. 'He's actually having a panic attack! All these aliens and monsters, no way, but this?'

'He's a parent.' Jack reminded her, his face setting with determination. 'Keep him from tearing this place apart – I'll find the boy.'

Jack left the pair behind, and ran around nearby shops in search of the little blonde-haired toddler. Rose's son. Hearing a child's cry, Jack spun around and saw the back of a little kid nearby with pale hair.

'Michael!' He said with relief, and scooped the boy up.

Jack quickly realised it wasn't a boy, but a girl at least a year older than Michael. A woman made a screeching sound and snatched the girl from his arms. She looked his lack of attire up and down with fury and disgust in her eyes.

'Don't you _dare_ touch her!'

'No, I wasn't-' Jack tried to calm her, but the woman carried her daughter away without looking back. Grumbling, now aware of the disdainful looks he received from the awoken crowd around him, Jack continued his search for Michael.

He ran everywhere - checking under every table and around each corner. The boy seemed to be nowhere, though finding one small child in an entire mall of stressed and confused people was quite a challenging task in itself. Jack didn't give up. He went into a clothes store not far from where he'd woken – close enough to hear the Doctor yelling at nearby people, and the buzz of the sonic screwdriver. Jack worried what would happen if the little boy wasn't found soon.

He'd never seen the Doctor quite so panicked.

Heading into a large store that stocked just about everything, Jack headed for the most likely place Michael might be drawn to. Remembering the boy's enthusiasm with waving the bow tie and grabbing clothes earlier, Jack crawled on the floor checking under the clothing racks. He was running out of options and sanity, though finally luck was on his side. A familiar tie had trailed under a rack of sale items – shirts and singlets, mostly. Jack stuck his head through the clothes to see inside the circular rack, knowing there was a hut-like space within, and had never felt so much relief upon seeing a toddler sitting with his tiny fingers clutched to the end of the tie.

Michael put the tie in his mouth, and looked up to see Jack staring at him. The boy giggled at the sight, and waved hello, entirely oblivious to the stress he'd caused by wandering away in his own boredom and keenness to explore.

'You've given us quite a scare, young man.' Jack said, lifting the boy out from under the rack.

A pink singlet got caught and fell over his head, which Michael thought was hilarious. The boy waved the tie like a banner, and grinned at Jack's dead-panned expression. He shook his head with amusement, and carried the little boy out of the store after discarding the singlet.

'He always said, _"don't wander off"_, but your mum never listened either.' Jack told Michael, signalling to the Martha and the Doctor.

'Michael!' Ten exclaimed with unrestrained relief and ran over. He clutched his son, scooping him right out of Jack's arms, and pressed his cheek to the boy's blonde head. 'Don't _ever_ do that. Never, ever!' He repeated, kissing the boy's head and holding him close.

His closed his eyes, letting the relief wash over him, and barely remembered to thank Jack.

'Daddy?' Michael wondered, unsure what was going on. 'Chips?'

Ten snorted, then laughed, while Jack and Martha watched on warily. He gave Michael another kiss to the forehead, and nodded with promise.

'Yeah, Michael.' Ten said. 'Yeah, let's have chips.'

/\/\

'Everything she did was so human.' Ten said, standing to watch the sunset with Jack.

The Tardis was in the background, not far from a little shop where Martha sat across from Michael. The boy stood on the chair to reach the table, and happily munched on his sauce-smothered chips. Martha looked over at them, but was too far away to even read their lips if their backs weren't turn to her.

'She brought you back to life but she couldn't control it.' Ten continued, talking about Rose. 'She brought you back forever. That's something, I suppose. The final act of the Time War was life.'

Jack listened intently, as the Doctor explained, each focused on the golden glow of the fading Earth sun. People walked by in every direction surrounding them, all talking away and laughing with the usual energy of human life. They shared, discussed, and imagined.

'This new regeneration of yours, it's kind of cheeky.' Jack chuckled.

'Hmm.' Ten said, his eyes seeing beyond the horizon as his mind remained on Rose. He turned to look at Michael, who was trying to convince Martha to give him more sauce.

'He'll never know her, will he?' Jack said, also positioning to watch Rose's little boy. 'She'll never know who he'll grow up to be.'

'They will.' The Doctor said. 'Michael won't remember her – can't, he was too young, but he'll know of Rose Tyler. He'll know that his mother was always brave, and always funny. He will know her, Jack. And Rose – she'll know too. Somehow, someway...' He looked up to the darkening sky, thinking of how far away Rose was in another universe.

Jack didn't question it, and remained quiet, as the Doctor stared up at the sky changing from a display of colour to one filling with stars.

'She'll know.' Ten smiled sadly. 'Rose never left, Jack. Physically, yeah, but Michael's still here. A piece of her will never leave, not as long as Michael lives. A part of her will always be with him. With us.'

'Yeah.' Jack smiled. 'The son of Rose Tyler and the Doctor - what a wonderful life he'll have.'

'Oh yes.' Ten agreed. 'He'll have the best of times.'

'Haven't forgotten about us, I hope?' Martha joined them.

'Never.' Ten said, lifting Michael from her arms. 'Good chips?'

'Yeah.' Michael smiled, leaning his head against the Doctor's shoulder. 'Night coming.' The toddler whispered tiredly, looking up at the sky.

'What about you?' Martha glanced at Jack. 'What'll you do now?'

'Well.' The Doctor said, noticing Jack's hopeful glance in his direction. 'Can't say the Tardis will like it, but you could come with us. For a little while. Like old times.'

'Like old times.' Jack grinned.

'What do you say, Michael?' Ten asked his son. 'Can Jack see the stars with us for a while?'

Michael looked at Jack, and giggled. Ten loved it – he didn't know what was so funny to the little boy, but one look at Jack and the kid was now in fits of laughter.

'I'm good with it.' Martha added, as the group turned to head back to the Tardis.

'Don't.' Ten said to Jack, who had cheekily opened his mouth to reply.

'If it's open for suggestion, I know where we can go first.' Jack said. 'How about, oh I don't know, Medeekior?'

'Medeekior?' The Doctor looked at him. 'What's in Medeekior?'

'If you must know, there's this huge palace...' Jack trailed off as the group entered the Tardis.

The blue doors closed, and the familiar whooshing sound mingled with the noise of the human race around it. The people who had no idea their planet had just been saved, once again, by the Doctor. He'd been there so many times, rescuing them from everything that stepped out of the shadows, and they rarely noticed.

They continued on with their lives as if they had endless days and endless nights.

Shoppers wandered stores, despite the odd occurrence there earlier, and waiters still served food. Buses transported people home, to work, and to all the various places of London. Places such as constructions sites, like the one next to a large patch of dirt a little away from the busy bustle of London. Even with the oddity of the shopping mall incident becoming the headline for conversation all across the UK, two men had continued to work unaware to it all. They stood on a hill made of dirt, with the half-built construction building as their background, and overlooked the work of various human-driven machinery down the slope of hill.

'We can always finish it tomorrow.' One man said. 'The world's not going to end if it's a few hours off schedule. We'll make do.'

'Sir!' A young man called out, waving to get their attention.

The two supervisors glanced at each other, then made their way down to join the other workers. The five of them were filthy from working all day in the sun and dirt. Each huddled around a patch of ground.

'What is it?'

'Dunno, Sir.' The young man answered, looking down at the object they'd uncovered. 'Think it could be valuable?'

The two supervisors crouched closer to the object, which was hardly bigger than a grapefruit, and didn't know what to say. The golden almond-shaped crystal appeared to glow inside, almost exactly in tune with their heartbeats. The humans stared at the object they couldn't comprehend or understand, yet each wondered and imagined what it could possibly be. Their discovery was fascinating, but gave no indication of what it would bring. The seemingly harmless object, much like the Aklore bracelets had appeared to be, sat there to be observed and handled. It wasn't Erolka technology, but it was certainly alien. The humans didn't know that, but soon they would.

Soon, their whole planet of Earth was about to notice something very strange indeed.


	6. London Attacked (Pt 1)

**Author's Notes:** Check my profile for a link to the official website for this story, where you'll find chapter banners and more! Apologies for the delay, and please review as it would be greatly appreciated.

* * *

**Chapter Six: London Attacked (Part 1)**

The Tardis was parked on one of Jupiter's many moons, but this time the adventure was happening inside its doors rather than the landscape beyond.

'Ready?' The Doctor smiled. He looked across the kitchen table to where his son stood on a chair to get a better view of what was going on.

Michael mirrored his father's grin, then lowered his equally brown eyes to the glow in front of them. On either side of the Doctor were Jack and Martha, who were also focused on the big birthday cake placed on the table in front of them. It was bright yellow, shaped like a giant banana, and shone warmly with the flickering flames of two blue candles.

Michael nodded, bracing himself for his anticipated task, and took a deep breath until his cheeks resembled those of a chipmunk. With a gush of air from his lungs, the little boy blew out the candles. Michael proudly clapped his hands along with the others.

'Two years old.' Ten exhaled, watching Michael use his tiny fingers and calculated motions to carefully take the candles out of the cake.

'Yeah.' Martha nodded. She assumed he was referring to how time was going fast, even for the Time Lord, as Michael was a toddler and no longer an infant.

The Doctor glanced at her for a brief moment, and didn't reply.

'I can't believe how much he looks like you now.' Martha added.

The newly two-year-old boy's blond hair had grown a lot lately, and had become the same spiked style as the Doctor's. His brown eyes gleamed with equal curiosity and excitement, though the layer of kindness in the child shone brighter than anything else his young face could portray. He'd developed a habit of being more expressive with his hands while he talked - his vocabulary was still limited, though it was more to do with his age than his curious nature and love for learning new things. Michael was notably smarter than the average two-year-old from all the new information he discovered and heard on a daily basis, with all the travelling he'd experienced through time and space since the day he was born.

'Yeah?' Ten examined his son's face in attempt to see what Martha did, but all he saw was Rose. Everything about his adorable son seemed to be so Rose.

'Can we eat the cake now?' Jack wanted to know. 'I'm afraid Michael is going to attack it if we don't.'

'Why a banana?' Martha rolled her eyes at the Doctor, who begun cutting the cake.

'It's a banana cake.' Ten said, as if it was obvious. 'Michael loves bananas.'

'Did you make a wish?' Martha asked the toddler, who clutched to the plate of cake he'd been given.

'Yup!' Michael nodded importantly, then shoved cake into his mouth.

Martha reached to accept a plate with her own slice of cake, but was distracted by a beeping in her pocket. She got out her phone and saw a missed call, though she wasn't sure who had tried to call her as the number and ID were blank. Hearing Jack and the Doctor laughing at something she'd missed, Martha put her phone away and paid attention to the moment.

Martha sat at the table to eat, and rolled her eyes with amusement towards the antics around her.

The one missed call would have slipped from her mind entirely, except one hour later her phone beeped again with continued persistence. Martha tried to answer it, but all she heard was garbled static before the call abruptly ended.

The Doctor noticed her frowned expression when he got up from his pilot seat to leave the console room. She didn't say anything so he kept walking and entered the maze of Tardis corridors, heading for a single pale door painted with many little blue hand-prints. Ten inched the door open with one hand, while the other held his stethoscope, and peered into the child's bedroom.

It quickly became apparent that his little birthday boy wasn't there.

There weren't many places to hide in the toddler's room – it only had a single bed with a thick blue blanket, a big toy chest shaped like the Tardis, endless shelves of books lining the walls, a big rainbow-coloured rug on the floor, and blue curtain separating the room from the small child-suited bathroom. The curtain was open, so the Doctor knew the boy wasn't there either.

'Michael?'

Ten stepped back, and looked around the hallways. His two-year-old was nowhere to be seen or heard. With an exhale, he wandered back to the main console room where Martha held her phone to her ear in attempt to make sense of the strange static sound coming from it.

'My son appears to have been kidnapped again.' Ten said with a sigh. 'Have you seen him?'

Martha pointed to the other end of the room, where the second corridor opening was. Ten heard a yell from that direction, and winced. Hurrying to the other end of the console room, and along the corridor, the Doctor halted at the open doorway of a room.

'I told you to be gentle with him.' Ten said firmly.

Another yell, and Jack collapsed to the carpet floor of the room that could be loosely compared to an old-fashioned living room. Michael sat on Jack's back, and was disappointed his pretend pony could no longer manage the journey across the room.

'Sorry, Daddy.' Michael ducked his head with shame. 'Sorry, Uncle Jack.'

'I'm fine.' Jack grunted. 'Just...give me a sec.' He said from where he lay on his stomach, his muscles protesting against movement. Ever since a week ago when Michael started calling him "uncle", Jack had been at the boy's beck and call around the Tardis during trips.

'You ready?' Ten held up his stethoscope.

'Yeah!' Michael jumped off Jack, and hurried over to his father.

He held up his small hands for the stethoscope, then ran back to the console room under the guide of his improving memory. Michael's limitations within the Tardis had expanded to include the first few doors in the corridors outside the console room, which were mostly domestic-like places such as the child's own bedroom and the sort-of living room. The kitchen as well, but Michael could only gain access there if he had supervision.

'Marta!' Michael waved to her, still having trouble saying her proper name. 'Marta! I got it.'

'Oh, good.' Martha nodded, distracted with her phone.

Storing it away in her pocket again with a shake of her head, she offered the boy a smile and lifted him up onto the pilot seat. He squirmed impatiently at first, but sat very still when she moved the stethoscope to listen to his heart. Martha placed the ear pieces into his ears, and Michael's eyes lit with utter amazement.

'Hear it?' She asked, while Ten sat beside his boy.

'Yeah!' Michael nodded.

Martha slid the flat end of the stethoscope across the boy's chest, and watched as his excitement elevated when he heard his second heart. It was something Martha had wondered about, though she'd suspected the boy would be considerably like the Doctor even if Michael was only half Time Lord. She contemplated that it was simple biology, though expertise regarding aliens wasn't exactly taught at Earth medical school so her assumptions remained a guess until proven otherwise.

'Just like your dad.' Martha smiled.

Michael stood on the chair, and held the end of the stethoscope to the Doctor's jacket in search of the heart-beats. Ten corrected the location, when the boy was trying to listen to a lung instead, and found amusement in how amazed his son was by the simple rhythm of a heart. Michael was completely mesmerised by the gentle drumming, as if listening to a lullaby that soothed his senses.

'There it is again.' Martha grumbled, looking at her phone. 'Hold on.' She noticed she'd received a voice message rather than an attempted call.

She opened it, and raised the phone to her ear.

Ten didn't react to Jack walking into the console room, or answer Michael's babbled question - his sole attention fell to the way Martha's face became oddly pale, yet equally confused. She slowly lowered her phone, and got her composure under control. Usually she only did that when the Doctor regretfully informed her they were once again going to have to run for their lives because something big and hungry was after them.

A face of fear and alertness didn't belong in the calm atmosphere of the Tardis while parked on an otherwise empty moon.

'What?' Ten asked firmly.

'My mum...' Martha swallowed. 'She's warning me, I think. Something's happened. I couldn't make it all out – there was some sort of static in the background, and people yelling. Lots of yelling. She told me to stay out of London.'

The Doctor jumped up from the seat and moved around the controls, flipping toggle switches and turning dials. Michael was occupied with the sound of his own hearts and paid little attention to what was going on, while Jack joined the Doctor at the console.

'Where are we going?' Jack wondered, though he was certain he already had an idea or two regarding the situation.

'London.' Ten said, multi-tasking with using his sonic screwdriver on Martha's phone to check he had the right time coordinates.

The Tardis lurched forward through the time vortex, though a shuddering jerk of motion indicated something wasn't quite right. The Tardis landed on Earth shortly after, but gave a mechanical groan as if the ship was under a terrible strain.

'No, no, no!' Ten checked the controls and scanned for information. 'No. Oh, that's some seriously bad energy compression.'

'Doctor?' Martha worried. 'What's wrong?'

'Uh, well.' Ten winced. 'Something's tampered with the...No, no, that can't be right. Oh, but it is.'

'Doctor!' Martha pressed. 'What is it?'

'The Tardis can't land in the moment the phone call was made. There's a disturbance signal tampering with the stabiliser. If we tried to land in that time and place, the engine would explode. Well, probably. Eh, most likely. Better not to risk it.' Ten looked to the doors of the Tardis, wondering what was beyond them that had the magnitude of technology to set the Tardis off-course like that.

'Where, or when, are we?' Jack asked.

'Uh, London, about a day earlier.' Ten checked. 'Well, that's not so bad.'

Hearing sounds outside the Tardis, Martha became rather nervous about what they'd find. Her mother had sounded really scared on the phone, from what she'd been able to pick up through the static. Still, being there a day sooner gave her hope that maybe whatever it was could be stopped before too much damage was caused.

Ten returned his stethoscope to his pocket, and lifted Michael up to slip the boy into the carrier he'd grabbed from nearby. The toddler would have complained about the stethoscope being taken from him, but knew the carrier meant they were about to head outside to explore something new.

Jack reached the doors first and pulled one open, stepping out into into an alley between houses. Martha and the Doctor joined him, and Ten made sure his son's view wasn't very extensive in case they were confronted with an unsettling scene. The group walked along the alley, and peered out at the residential area only a block beyond the center of the city. The street was still recognisably London, though occasionally people ran about and the military presence was unmissable.

The Doctor looked around, then paused when he heard a beeping sound similar to Martha's phone. He turned around and walked along the alley, thinking it was rather wide for a space between two houses. Behind the Tardis, almost into near-darkness, he came across a door. With Martha and Jack following him, Ten pushed open the door and cautiously stepped inside.

The large room appeared to act as storage, with various boxes and occasional technology laying around the many-windowed location. Making sure the curtains were closed to conceal their presence, Ten wasted no time ignoring any questions about the house and merely set to work. He placed Michael in Jack's arms, then tossed the carrier aside so it wouldn't distract him while he worked. Ten hurried around the room, grabbing things and discarding others, then moved to sit on a strong box. With a large, round metal stool positioned as a table Ten used a laptop wired up to nearby machinery, and lit a gas lamp to see better. Jack crouched beside him, with Michael standing at the table to drive a tiny toy car back and forth on the table, and Martha stood at the Doctor's other side.

'Phone.' Ten held out his hand to her.

Martha brought up the message, and handed her phone to the Doctor. Holding the phone up as if in search of a signal, and gripping his sonic screwdriver, Ten eagerly watched the laptop to wait a response. The message's volume was amplified and went through at least a dozen a dozen different filters under the command of the sonic screwdriver.

_'Martha.'_ Her mother's slightly garbled response was heard, through a lot of strange electrical static and the occasional screams of people in the background. _'It's happening...London, not safe. Stay out...Please, get out...It's activated!'_

'Oh, my God.' Martha whispered, worry and fear spreading through her.

Jack and Ten remained seriously quiet, while Michael looked at the phone with confusion and uncertainty.

_'It's alive...'_ The message continued. _'They're killing...stay out...London. It's alive-'_

The message clicked and a deep, commanding voice spoke at the end. They all looked at the Doctor, but he merely frowned.

'What did it say?' Martha asked anxiously.

'I don't know.' Ten said, baffled. 'I don't recognise the language. I don't...' He looked up and exhaled.

Wiping his face with his hand, he gave the phone back to Martha and rose from the box. Returning Michael to the carrier, and slipping it back on, he tucked his sonic screwdriver away on the march back into the alley. Making sure the Tardis was out of the way and less likely to be noticed, the Doctor kept going until he emerged from the darkness entirely.

'What's going on?' Ten asked, approaching a solider in uniform. He flashed his psychic paper, and was glad the presence of his little boy was easily overlooked in the seriousness of the situation.

'We don't know, Sir.' The solider said. 'General Miller's got this whole area under guard.'

'Why?' Ten frowned.

'Well, because of the thing, Sir.' The solider looked at him oddly. 'You know, the thing?'

'Yeah, right, of course.' Ten nodded, concealing his lack of understanding. 'The thing. Right. Uh and just to clarify, busy day and all – my memory's not the best, the thing would be...?'

'This is all your fault!' A middle-aged woman dressed in a flowery nightie yelled at the soldiers from her front yard. 'Couldn't leave it well enough alone, could you?'

'Oh.' Ten groaned with dread. 'Humans. What have you touched now?' He eyed the solider with disapproval, then rejoined Martha and Jack nearby.

'Well?' Jack asked, looking over at the woman with curiosity.

'There's a thing.' Ten said, walking to a nearby trash bin. He lifted the lid and pulled out a recent newspaper. 'Ah! Here we go. A thing found in a construction site, oh about five days ago. Seized by the Government, no surprise there, and taken to an undisclosed location.'

'UNIT?' Jack guessed. 'Torchwood?'

'Nah.' Ten looked around at all the soldiers, and observed the apparent knowledge the neighbours had as they peered through the curtains of their windows. 'Somewhere much worse – a lab. Whatever it is, it's new. She's right – you humans just can't help yourselves. You find something new and what do you do? Poke and prod.'

'Doctor, my mum-' Martha bit her lip.

'I know.' He gripped her shoulders, his eyes speaking a promise while his words were only firm instruction. 'But you can not go to her. You can't tell her what's going on or contact her in any way, do you understand? If you reach out to her before she makes that call, we'd never come here. She makes that call because she doesn't know where you are or if you're safe. We need her to make that call.'

Martha pressed her lips together and frowned, anger and worry showing in her eyes as she stared back at the Doctor. He saw her hesitation at first, then trust. Martha nodded, and he let her go. They still had a day until the call would be made – that presumably gave them time to figure out whatever was coming.

This...thing.' Martha kept back her emotions to focus on being protective and hopefully prevent or fix whatever was going to happen. 'What is it, exactly?'

'I don't know.' Ten sighed, watching as a solider drove a Jeep towards them and parked it nearby. The man got out, and wandered away to talk to the other soldiers. 'Let's go find out.'

Jack gave a cheer of excitement, when the Doctor smiled and ran to the vehicle. He jumped into the back, causing a squeal of exhilaration from Michael, while Martha joined Jack at the front as he was their self-appointed driver. Jack started the engine, and Ten flashed his psychic paper, as the Jeep accelerated passed the startled soldiers.

* * *

Mortimer Clark stood by the window of his spacious office, looking out at the streets of London. The place was bare of the usual civilians, replaced instead by soldiers standing guard at various points of the street. He sighed, and tucked his hands behind his back as he continued to observe the lack of progress. Nothing was happening, yet so much had happened already.

He was an average, though slightly pot-bellied, man with a job to do. When his construction crew told him of the golden almond-shaped crystal they'd found, he'd arrived on site immediately. The object wasn't much bigger than a grapefruit and somehow glowed in strange tune to the heartbeats around it. He'd taken it back to his company, which specialised in making watches running five-star hotels. Business had plummeted lately with the recent weirdness at a nearby shopping mall, but Mortimer was nothing if not a man without a plan to make sure his bank account was loaded with money.

With the crystal in his possession, Mortimer cancelled all his meetings and used vast resources of cash he could easily spare to clear out a laboratory and discover what the object was. He hoped it was gold, or technology, but he never unravelled its mystery. It emitted a strange near-deafening buzz when his scientists tried to scan it with the best machines available. The Government had been alerted, and it had taken considerable amounts bribing and arguing for Mortimer to stay involved with the project in some aspect.

That was five days ago.

Three men were dead, the lab was barely intact, and the strange crystal had turned an intimidating shade of red. Phones stopped working, machinery couldn't function, and electricity short-circuited around it. The crystal was taken to a secure location, somewhere inside the building he had once called his tower of fortune and power. The only reason it wasn't locked away in steel-lined warehouse somewhere in the middle of nowhere was because any attempt to move the crystal had resulted in another blast of buzzing. They'd barely gotten as far as a few blocks before it happened, and no one wanted to risk another dangerous outburst.

Whatever the crystal was, it wasn't friendly and most certainly wasn't about to make Mortimer Clark immeasurably rich.

'Sir?' There was a knock at the door, and a young solider entered the room.

'What is it?' Mortimer grunted. 'What's it done now?'

'Nothing, Sir.' The solider hesitated. 'But there's a man here to see you. He calls himself the Doctor. He said he can help.'

'A doctor?' Mortimer scoffed. 'What can a doctor do against this thing? It's not flesh and bone; it's a piece of rock or stone. There's nothing human about it.'

'Well, you're quite right there.' Ten said, entering the room.

He'd become bored with waiting downstairs, with only Michael for company. The toddler was worn out from his busy day and had fallen asleep in the carrier, with his blond head dropped against his father's chest. He stood in the doorway of the office, and the solider quickly departed the room to give the pair their privacy.

'It's not human.' Ten said firmly. 'Not human at all.'

'And who are you, Doctor?' Mortimer turned around, and didn't look at all impressed by the man standing across the room from him – especially when he saw the little boy secured in the carrier strapped to the supposed Doctor. 'Surely this is no place for a child? How unprofessional.'

'Never mind that.' Ten dismissed. 'There might not be a place let at all if you don't tell me everything you know about the thing. Whoever started calling it _"the thing"_ anyway? That's such a terrible name - no information or imagination at all. '

'Who are you? What do you know of it?' Mortimer frowned. 'You can't just come barging in here and demanding answers!'

'Actually, I can.' Ten held up his psychic paper. 'And I didn't barge in, not really. Walked right through the front doors. Even got offered tea – you lot, always having a cup of tea even when the world around you is no longer safe of familiar.' He said with light fondness.

'Who _are_ you?' Mortimer repeated, befuddled by the only lingering visitor he'd had in two days.

'I'm the Doctor.' Ten replied. 'That's all you need to know. Now, tell me, what have you touched that you really shouldn't have?'

/\/\

'This guy has amazing biceps.' Jack commented, dragging a muscular man backwards across the floor to stash him in a storage cupboard.

Martha rolled her eyes from across the hallway, busy attaching a security tag to the white lab coat she now wore. Reaching to tie her hair back, Martha waited for Jack to change into the man's clothes and rejoin her.

'How do I look?' Jack asked, stepping out of the cupboard.

He held his arms wide and offered Martha a cheeky smile, but the sound of footsteps at the end of the corridor interrupted their moment.

Acting quickly, they headed around a corner and used their security passes to slip into the main laboratory as planned. Martha exhaled with relief, whereas Jack looked to be quite at ease. There were several other people dressed in uniforms or lab coats around them, and most worked at computers or other machinery without paying much attention to their additional company. It looked like the sort of improvised work space where nothing really happened, if it weren't for the odd stains on the floor or the scorch marks on the walls that revealed otherwise.

Hearing voices outside the room, Martha went to sit at a computer desk beside a curly-haired woman to check through their databases as the Doctor had instructed. Jack moved to examine a chart not far from the main door, keeping his back to it to better eavesdrop without appearing at all intrusive. He frowned at the details written upon numerous pages clipped to the chart, and realised the thing they worked on was thought to be a weapon or some sort of valuable stone. Jack determined that they'd been experimenting on it for days, ever since it was found at a construction clearing around the time the shopping mall incident with the Erolka technology happened.

Jack straightened when the Doctor and Mortimer Clark entered. The pair had just crossed the threshold when the ground suddenly shook beneath their feet. Pens and equipment clattered onto the floor, and people screamed with alarm. Jack darted his gaze over to the center of the room, where an glass-encased crystal glowed a blood red colour and emitted a strange signal that reminded him of a high-frequency gong.

The Doctor rushed over to it, despite Mortimer's yelling to stay away. One hand waved his sonic screwdriver, while the other was comfortingly placed against Michael's head as the little boy was startled awake and didn't know what was going on.

'What did you do?' Mortimer demanded from the workers, who all looked as alarmed and unsure as he did.

They back away from his angry form, their eyes wide and terrified. Apart from Martha, who kept working at the computer before the screen went blank. From what she'd read, Martha wasn't even sure how the computers had been on when the crystal's presence had shut everything down the moment the Government had tried to move it.

'Ohh.' Ten said slowly, taking a step back from the object with intense dread. 'This is an Alakadivian crystal.'

'What?' Mortimer marched up to him. 'You know what this is? Tell me!'

'Oh yes.' Ten took another step backwards. 'Take the lad, would you? Look after him.' He offered Michael over to Jack, giving the impression they didn't know each other so Jack's cover wouldn't be blown.

An explosion outside the building jerked everyone from their thoughts.

Crashing sounds and increased screaming continued, though the Doctor hardly moved from where he stood staring at the crystal that still emitted its strange sound. It felt like the entire world was shaking from fear, and no one in the lab could tell what was going on – and each being either unwilling or too afraid to leave. A static noise spread through the building, and everyone panicked as the roof began to strip away. Workers dived under desks, covering their heads or eyes. Most of them cried, while others prayed. The afternoon sky became visible, as the rest of the formally-towering building was gone – leaving only the bottom floor where the lab was.

A pulse of dark blue energy cascaded down onto the crystal, beamed from a huge spaceship hovering over London.

The Doctor looked up, while Jack held a crying Michael close, and Martha slowly walked over join them. The remaining workers either sobbed from their perceived shelter of the desks, or bravely peered around the furniture to get a glimpse of what was going on. Mortimer was caught between panic and pride, unable to shift from a nearby wall he'd pressed himself against.

The static continued, then a deep voice was heard all across London. There were places of destroyed buildings reduced to fire and rubble, while cars and stores went up in smoke, and everywhere through the city survivors huddled in corners like frightened animals. Some were curious by the voice, like the workers peering around the tables, whereas others wanted to shut it all out in hope the terror and danger would fade away.

The city was under attack, but when the voice from the ship was heard – everything stopped.

'Sur. Surrender it to us.' The deep voice commanded. 'We. We halt the clearing of this planet upon discovery that its inhabitants are able to speak and think.'

'You probably should have checked that before you attacked.' The Doctor said in annoyance.

'The. The thievery will be punished with death.' The voice continued. 'Re. Return it to us now.'

'You have it!' Ten yelled, indicating to the crystal still linked to the ship by the blue beam of energy. 'Take it, and leave this planet!'

Blinding flashes surrounded them, revealing at least five humanoid aliens wearing in black armour. They each had a stalk sprouting from their helmet, with a red eyeball at the tip. The aliens marched up to the crystal and scanned it with a hand-held square device. Ten stepped aside, shielding Michael who was still being held by Jack, and watched carefully to what the aliens were doing. He didn't trust them, but hoped they'd simply take their property and leave.

If they got what they wanted, what reason should they have for staying?

The aliens muttered in the same language heard from the message on Martha's phone, which the Doctor wasn't familiar with, and interchanged their stares around at the people in the room. Ten could see their frantic hand and stalk motions, realising with mounting dread that they were angry.

Very angry.

The pulse cascading over the crystal vanished, and the object turned an almost-colourless pink.

'Whoa!' Ten held up his hands when the aliens drew weapons on everyone in the room. 'We're unarmed. We come in peac-'

A few rounds of gunfire rang passed him and hit the shiny surface of the nearest alien, aimed at them by a stressed Mortimer. He held the handgun with shaky hands, and was shocked the weapon had proved useless against the alien's armour. Ten winced and used his arms to shielded himself from any ricochetting bullets, still acting as the barrier between Michael and any dangerous, then spun around to growl at Mortimer in disbelief.

'Why'd you do that for?' Ten raised his voice, trying to keep control of his annoyance with how quickly people panicked when holding a weapon.

'I...' Mortimer gasped, shaking his head uncertainly, as the aliens all turned to him. 'No – no, I just found it. He-he took it.' He pointed wildly at the Doctor, trying to save himself from any consequences.

'Oi!' Ten protested when the aliens grabbed him and dragged him away from the others. 'You - hey!'

'Doctor!' Martha worried.

'Daddy!' Michael cried, reaching his hands for his father as the Doctor was beamed up to the ship alongside the five aliens.

Jack kept a firm grip on the boy, and looked at the crystal in desperation for something useful. He leaned as close as he dared to, and realised the outside was almost transparent now. Inside was a small circular base, as if something was meant to be resting there but missing. He realised the real crystal was probably much smaller, and what they really had was merely its protective case.

'It's just a shell.' Jack said, furious and dreading. He looked up at the ship, thinking as fast as he could, and turned to Martha. 'We have to go. We have to find the real crystal they're looking for.'

'What?' She stared at him. 'What about the Doctor? We can't just leave him!'

'He'll be fine.' Jack insisted. 'If we don't give them what they want, they're going to tear this entire planet apart looking for it.' He said, turning to head for the door.

Martha and Jack cast one last glance at the ship, and dashed for the exit of the laboratory. Mortimer sank to the dusty floor in shock, still staring at the space where the aliens had disappeared, and couldn't budge. Even when his workers took no additional chances, and fled for their lives. Michael's cries could still be heard around what was left of the building, but far above in the sky - the planet was silent.

The Doctor was still being held prisoner.

He faced the back of a creature, who didn't quite resemble the others though it still had the stalk extending from his head. The shadows, of what was apparently some sort of office, made it hard to determine what it looked like without the armour, but the creature was clearly in charge of the ship and all aboard it. It ignored all attempts Ten made to reason with them, or buy some time. After several minutes, the alien leader stepped closer to the large window covering almost the entire wall.

It looked down at London, its hands tucked behind its back, and made a sound similar to a grunt.

'No. No, they must be punished.' He said deeply.

'They didn't know!' Ten shouted, trying to pull free from the grip on his arms. 'You don't have to do this! Show mercy!'

'They. They must be punished.' The alien repeated, its voice getting louder and more commanding. 'Take. Take the planet!'


End file.
